ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Employment Schemes

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department plans to give to the National Care Farming Initiative.

Barry Gardiner: Natural England, and its predecessor bodies, have provided financial support to the National Care Farming Initiative in the past and further support will continue in terms of information and advice. Future funding will be considered when budgets are clarified in the middle of May.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in each district authority in Cumbria are eligible for single payment scheme payments; how many received SPS payments in the 2006-07 financial year; and what percentage of farmers this represents in each case.

Barry Gardiner: Detailed analysis by constituency, area or category of the payments made under the single payment scheme is not available.
	As of 18 April 2007, a total of 98,395 of farmers in England have received either a full or partial payment under the 2006 single payment scheme year, and 10,605 farmers, equating to 9.7 per cent. of the estimated total claimant population, have not received any payment. The total cash value of all outstanding payments is £415.16 million. The Rural Payment Agency's target is to pay 96.14 per cent. of the total value of the fund by 30 June 2007.
	There are 30 2005 claims that are outstanding and have not received full payment, totalling £261,054.88.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that single farm payments are made in their entirety and on time.

Barry Gardiner: The difficulties experienced in completing payments under the 2005 single payment scheme have inevitably impacted on the payment timetable for the 2006 scheme year. The Rural Payments Agency has made it clear that the target of paying 96.14 per cent. of claims by value by 30 June 2007 is challenging.
	RPA is developing a comprehensive set of actions to recover from the problems of SPS 2005 and has already made several improvements to the way in which it operates. These changes will take into account the recommendations of the EFRA Select Committee, National Audit Office and other inquiries.
	As of 18 April 2007, RPA had paid £1.12 billion in full or partial SPS 2006 payments to 98,395 claimants. The Department and RPA continue to work closely to ensure that the remaining claims and top-up payments where a partial payment has been made, are paid as soon as possible.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of farmers in England are awaiting single payment scheme payments from financial year 2006-07; how many farms this represents; what the total cash value is of these outstanding payments; and when these payments are expected to be made.

Barry Gardiner: As of 18 April 2007, a total of 98,395 of farmers in England have received either a full or partial payment under the 2006 single payment scheme year, and 10,605 farmers, equating to 9.7 per cent. of the estimated total claimant population, have not received any payment. The total cash value of all outstanding payments is £415.16 million. The Rural Payments Agency target is to pay 96.14 per cent. of the total value of the fund by 30 June 2007.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers received Single Farm Payments of more than  (a) £40,000 and  (b) £50,000 in 2006.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 1,429 farmers received single payment scheme payments of more than £40,000 and less than £50,000 in 2006.
	2,434 farmers received SPS payments of more than £50,000 in 2006.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms are eligible for single farm payments; how many single farm payments were made in 2006; and what the average value was of those payments.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 The 119,374 claimants who received entitlements in 2005 are therefore eligible to claim under the single payment scheme (SPS): 116,914 payments were made in 2006 with an average value of £13,165.98.

Air Pollution: Contracts

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies providing carbon offsetting arrangements his officials examined in making a choice for his Department's offsetting arrangements.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA ran a tendering process for the Government carbon offsetting fund contract and received 16 expressions of interest from:
	AEA Technology plc
	Agrinergy Ltd
	Arup Project Management
	Carbon Aided Ltd
	Carbon Ventures Ltd
	Carbonium
	Climate Focus BV
	Climate Wedge Ltd
	CO2e Ltd
	Ecofys UK Ltd
	EcoSecurities Ltd
	EEA Fund Management Ltd
	Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd
	Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM)
	South Pole Carbon Asset Management Ltd
	The Carbon Neutral Company
	EEA Fund Management was selected as the winning bidder after delivering the highest score following all rounds of the evaluation process.

Avian Influenza

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which  (a) UK county and  (b) other countries the turkey poults supplied to the Bernard Matthews' plant at Holton, Suffolk originated; and what the health status of each supplying plant was with regard to the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: The 159,000 day-old turkey poults came from Bernard Matthews' own hatchery in Norfolk, between 30 November and 14 December 2006. The eggs had been supplied by Bernard Matthews' breeding flocks in Norfolk and Suffolk. We have no evidence of H5N1 infection at these sites.

Common Agricultural Policy: Food

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy on the amount spent by an average family in the UK on food in one year.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 We can calculate an estimate of the UK consumer cost of the Common Agricultural Policy by comparing the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural products and applying that difference to the volume of UK consumption. On that basis the cost of higher spending on food to a notional family of four in 2004 was approximately £260. Our provisional estimate for 2005 is approximately £220.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to limit the amount of money spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes by his Department.

Barry Gardiner: The Department has clear guidance on hospitality in both its finance manual and staff handbook. Both these guides follow the principles laid down in Government accounting and the Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety.
	The two key principles operated by the Department are: that hospitality may be provided only if it is in the public interest and necessary for the conduct of business; and the amount spend shall be appropriate for the occasion and not such to attract adverse comment.
	Directors General are responsible for monitoring expenditure on hospitality and are required to ensure that any such expenditure meets the above principles

Departments: Paper

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure his Department's economical use of paper.

Barry Gardiner: From information held centrally, the amount of printing paper purchased between April 2005 and March 2006 was 829 tonnes, and for copier paper 235.8 tonnes. The Department is taking the following steps to ensure its use of paper is economical:
	a move away from paper-based records management towards electronic records thereby reducing the volume of paper-based information held locally. In time, this will reduce the volume of paper stored in archives;
	DEFRA has revised recently its procedures for records management so that more of DEFRA's records can be created captured and stored electronically rather than printing to paper;
	double sided printing as standard if documents need to be printed at all;
	printer rationalisation and reduction as part of DEFRA's IT and facilities management strategies;
	online communications or events for its external communications;
	expanding the scope of e-publishing for key publications;
	moving towards binless offices as part of DEFRA's facilities management strategy.
	All Departments are required to meet cross-Government sustainable operations targets, launched last year. The targets for reducing their waste arisings are 5 per cent. and 25 per cent. by 2010 and 2020 respectively, relative to 2004-05 levels; and for increasing their recycling figures to 40 per cent. and 75 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and 2020, respectively.

Departments: Surveys

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department undertakes employee exit surveys.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA sends out an exit questionnaire to each employee leaving the Department and also offers exit interviews to staff.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what reduction in UK carbon emissions is predicted to result from  (a) phase 1 and  (b) phase 2 of the EU emissions trading scheme, expressed (i) in tonnes and (ii) as a percentage of the total at the start of the scheme;
	(2)  what percentage reduction in UK carbon emissions has resulted to date from participation in the EU emissions trading scheme;
	(3)  whether UK carbon emission reductions resulting from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are being independently reviewed and audited;
	(4)  what reduction in UK carbon emissions was projected to result from phase One of the EU emissions trading scheme at its outset; and what reductions have been quantified to date.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 16 April 2007
	The approved UK national allocation plan (NAP) for phase I (2005-07) of the EU emissions trading scheme is set to deliver carbon dioxide emissions savings of around 65 million tonnes (roughly 8 per cent.) below the projected business as usual emissions of the installations covered by the scheme during phase I. The rationale behind emission trading is to ensure that the emission reductions take place where the cost of the reduction is lowest thus lowering the overall costs of tackling climate change. The emissions reductions referred to above may not therefore all take place in the UK.
	Comparing 2003 and 2005 emissions in the UK from installations in the EU ETS shows a reduction of around 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) which equates to 4 per cent. However, a number of new installations commenced operation and entered the scheme in 2004 and 2005, emitting a total of around five MtCO2 in 2005. Therefore, the net total reduction in emissions from UK installations (incumbent and new) in the EU ETS was approximately five MtCO2 between 2003 and 2005.
	The UK NAP for phase II (2008-12) is set to deliver an annual reduction of 29.3 million tonnes of CO2 against projected business as usual emissions for 2010. The allocation level has been set at 13 per cent. below emissions from these installations in 2005.

Farmers: Manpower

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers there are in  (a) England,  (b) Northern Ireland,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Wales.

Barry Gardiner: The number of registered holdings in England at June 2006 was 200,381. Figures for the other UK countries fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.
	 Source:
	June Agricultural Survey

Inland Waterways: Rochdale

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 763W, on inland waterways: repairs and maintenance, how much the Trub Farm, Rochdale canal, received in alternative money; and what the source of funding was.

Barry Gardiner: Works to install a bridge and associated road at Trub Farm on the Rochdale Canal were carried out as part of British Waterways' 2006-07 works programme at a cost of £586,000. The alternative source of funding related to British Waterways made provision for the cost of the work in its 2005-06 accounts as it was contractually committed to this work. The project was therefore removed from its 2006-07 cost schedule and was unaffected by the 2006-07 cuts.

Milk: Prices

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Competition Commission on the share of the retail price of milk that is passed on to farmers by supermarkets.

Barry Gardiner: The Competition Commission announced in January that it intended to look further at the impact of supermarket buyer power on dairy farmers during the next stage of its inquiry into the groceries market. DEFRA has had no recent discussions with the CC on this matter. We have, however, provided it with information on the dairy sector and have made clear our willingness to meet, should they wish to do so.

Peat Bogs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies his Department has undertaken into the degrading of peat bogs by the releasing of carbon in the form of dissolved organic carbon.

Barry Gardiner: The degradation of peat bogs can lead to a loss of soil carbon in various forms, including as dissolved organic carbon. Research into peat bog degradation and restoration in the UK has been, and is currently being, funded by a range of organisations such as water companies, conservation groups and the Government. DEFRA has recently undertaken reviews of the available literature on both the degradation of organic soils (including peat bogs) and management options for restoring degraded bogs.
	We are now developing a programme of research on soil carbon to improve our understanding of the main mechanisms by which carbon is lost, the impacts of land use and land management, and practical methods for mitigating losses. This will form part of the forthcoming soil strategy for England.

Peat Bogs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken  (a) to preserve and  (b) to reactivate drained peat bog land as carbon sinks; what his policy is on the long-term role of peat bogs as carbon sinks in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The need to preserve peat bogs for their biodiversity value, and as stores of carbon, is being addressed on a range of fronts.
	Agri-environment schemes provide for good management of around 230,000 hectares of peat bogs . A progress review of environmental stewardship (ES) is due to begin shortly. Increasing the contribution of ES to climate change mitigation, including the role of peat restoration, will be examined as part of this.
	We are also working towards our current public service agreement target to ensure that 95 per cent. of the area in England designated as sites of special scientific interest is in favourable or recovering condition by 2010. A considerable proportion of peat bogs are designated as SSSIs and currently around two thirds of this area meets the target. Improving the condition of the remainder is a priority.
	The England biodiversity strategy also contributes towards the protection of peat bogs, as does the UK air quality strategy which sets objectives to protect vegetation and ecosystems. The forthcoming soil strategy for England will draw together all these strands and DEFRA will consider, as part of this strategy, what further activity is required to protect existing carbon stocks.
	Our long-term policy is to promote management which (i) minimises further losses of carbon from peat soils, and (ii) allows peat bogs to act as a carbon sink. The potential for significantly off-setting carbon emissions may be somewhat limited because of the time it takes for peat to form.
	There are significant areas of peat bog in Scotland (which has over 70 per cent. of the UK peat resource), Wales and Northern Ireland. The devolved Administrations have policy responsibility in their territories, and DEFRA will continue to work closely with them.

Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate the effect on the UK's carbon dioxide emissions if the existing nuclear generating fleet was replaced by  (a) coal-powered fire stations and  (b) gas- fired power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The full lifecycle release of carbon dioxide emissions from nuclear power is similar to wind power, and much less than fossil fuel plant such as coal and gas. The calculation of avoided carbon dioxide emissions if the existing nuclear generating fleet were replaced by  (a) coal-powered fire stations is an increase of 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and  (b) gas- powered fire stations is an increase of 22 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Rural Development Programme

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether non-agricultural or environmental rural businesses will be able to access funding from the rural development programme for England;
	(2)  how he expects the rural development programme for England  (a) to help small rural and agricultural businesses to be more competitive and  (b) to enhance employment and business opportunities in rural areas;
	(3)  how much new money English rural and agricultural businesses will be able to access through the rural development programme for England;
	(4)  how small farming, agricultural and rural businesses will be able to access the rural development programme for England; and from what date funding will be available;
	(5)  what assistance will be offered to small farming, agricultural and rural businesses to enable them to access the rural development programme for England.

Barry Gardiner: Rural businesses across all sectors will be able to access funding under Axes 1, 3 and 4 of the rural development programme for England. These provide support for measures to improve competitiveness, enhance the economy and improve quality of life in rural areas, and to implement community-lead regeneration activity.
	We have set out in the draft rural development programme document, available on the DEFRA website, our key priorities for helping English rural and agricultural businesses to be more competitive and to enhance employment and business opportunities in rural areas. These include:
	(i) promoting and encouraging greater collaboration and cooperation
	(ii) improving agricultural and forestry industry uptake of technology and entrepreneurial skills
	(iii) filling gaps in existing training and advice provision
	(iv) promoting the adoption and dissemination of innovative business processes and practices
	(v) supporting innovative rural-based business development and enterprise, including diversification and sustainable tourism
	(vi) improving skills in the wider rural work force
	(vii) tackling social disadvantage through steps to support fair access to services
	(viii) supporting areas of economic underperformance and individuals experiencing disadvantage.
	We will be making available approximately £600 million over the seven years of the programme in support of these priorities.
	We have devolved responsibility for delivery of these priorities to the regional development agencies in England. The RDAs are currently working with partners to finalise the picture of the needs and priorities for their regions and sub-regional areas. Rural business people can contact their local RDA to discuss how any potential project meets the regional objectives of the programme.
	Funding will be available once the EU Commission has approved the programme, which we expect to submit later in the spring. The approval process may take around six months.
	Each of the RDAs has been operating an expressions of interest approach since October 2006, so that potential beneficiaries from rural development funding can discuss their ideas at the earliest possible stage. They will be making available further information about how to access funding when there is greater certainty about when the programme will begin, following approval by the EU Commission.

Rural Development Programme

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the rural development programme for England will financially incentivise environmental stewardship.

Barry Gardiner: The rural development programme for England 2007-13 will provide about £3.3 billion to land managers for agri-environment and other land management schemes. Around £2.9 billion of this will be used to fund Environmental Stewardship. The incentive for entering an Environmental Stewardship agreement depends on the complexity of the environmental management undertaken. The payment range extends from £30 per hectare to £700 per hectare in multi-annual agreements.

Rural Development Programme

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has received from the Lake District national planning authority on the rural development programme for England.

Barry Gardiner: A wide range of stakeholders have been consulted on the development of the new programme. The English National Park Authorities' Association responded to the consultation on the priorities for the next programme that we ran last year.

Rural Payments Agency: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was  (a) spent on and  (b) allocated to bonuses for staff in the Rural Payments Agency in the financial year (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2004-05; what the (A) highest and (B) lowest bonus paid in each year was; and what percentage of the total sum in each year was related to staff who have responsibility for rural payments (1) in the north-west and (2) in Eddisbury constituency.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) paid bonuses to staff at grade 6 and below and to members of the senior civil service between 2004-05 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Bonuses paid in: 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Amount spent on bonuses for staff in the RPA 323,567 249,025 243,072 
			 Amount allocated to bonuses for staff in the RPA 387,720 301,705 289,689 
			 The highest bonus paid in each year 18,641 21,062 10,500 
			 The lowest bonus paid in each year 500 75 500 
		
	
	In 2004-05 the RPA paid a flat rate non-consolidated bonus payment of £500 for staff with 'Exceeded' box marks following the end of year individual performance review. This was pro-rated for part time staff. This arrangement was negotiated with the trade union side and implemented as part of the 2004 pay settlement.
	In 2005-06 the RPA awarded a flat rate bonus of £550 to staff with 'Exceeded' box marks. This was awarded in two parts. Part one—a half step progression in the pay scale. Part two—the remaining value of the bonus was paid as a non-consolidated lump sum up to the value of £550. This arrangement was negotiated with TUS and implemented as part of the 2005 pay settlement.
	In 2006-07 the RPA awarded a flat rate non-consolidated bonus of £500 to staff with 'Exceeded' box marks. This was pro-rated for part time staff. This arrangement was negotiated with TUS and implemented as part of the 2006 pay settlement.
	A detailed analysis for staff responsible for payments in the north- west and in Eddisbury constituency is not available.

Sugar

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price was of a pound of sugar produced  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas in 2006; and what volume of sugar produced in the UK was exported in that year.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 The volume of exports of sugar(1) from sugar beet was 865 thousand tonnes in 2006.
	The information on sugar prices is not available in the form requested. However, the average producer price of refined granulated sugar in the UK in 2006 was 74.4 pence per kilogram.
	From statistics on overseas trade the average price of exported sugar derived from the value and volume of exports of sugar(1) from sugar beet was 24.3 pence per kilogram in 2006. The average price of imported sugar derived from the value and volume of imports of sugar(1) was 40.1 pence per kilogram in 2006.
	(1) Sugar is in various states—volumes have been adjusted where necessary onto a refined basis

Waste Management

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department have work objectives that make reference to composting; and what the pay band is of each staff member.

Barry Gardiner: Please find in the table, the information held on the DEFRA e-HR system on how many staff in the department have work objectives that make reference to composting. Please note that this is not comprehensive (in particular it does not include staff in the Senior Civil Service, nor DEFRA agencies). To produce more comprehensive details would be at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Pay band  Number of staff 
			 B 1 
			 C 1 
			 D 6 
			 F 5 
			 H 5 
			 Total 18

TRANSPORT

A358

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of vehicles he expects the new dual carriageway on the A358 between the M5 and the A303 to carry each day  (a) on average and  (b) at peak times of the year.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The estimate of traffic in the design year (2032) used for assessment purposes in the current option study on the new dual carriageway varies along the routes between 33,800 and 39,700 vehicles (low traffic growth forecast) and between 41,900 and 49,600 vehicles (high traffic growth forecast).
	 (b) These figures are daily two-way traffic flows averaged over the year; peak period flows have not been modelled for the current stage of development.

A358

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) timetable and  (b) budget is for the construction of the new dual carriageway on the A358 between the M5 and the A303.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency is currently investigating options for the dualling of the A358 between the A303 and the M5 at Taunton. Neither a timetable nor budget have yet been approved for the implementation of this scheme.

British Transport Police: Finance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much funding the British Transport police received from  (a) his Department,  (b) the rail industry, broken down by service provider, and  (c) Transport for London in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding he expects the British Transport police to receive in 2007-08 from  (a) his Department,  (b) the rail industry, broken down by service provider, and  (c) Transport for London; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Information held by the Department and relevant to the question is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Rail Industry 97 104 127 146 171 188 
			 Transport for London 26 27 33 44 51 54 
			 DfT Capital (provided by SRA prior to 2005-06) 5.4 5.4 7.2 12.5 10 7.5 
			 DFT Other (including loans) — — 13 16.6 — — 
			 Total 128.4 136.4 180.2 219.1 232 249.5 
		
	
	A detailed breakdown by operator is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail:
	general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the speed of Eurostar trains between the Channel Tunnel and London; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The operation of the Eurostar trains is a matter for Eurostar and London and Continental Railways as operator of the railway on which they run, and not for the Secretary of State. There are no current plans to increase the speed of Eurostar trains.
	Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel rail link, now known as high speed 1, will open on 14 November 2007. As a result journey times to the Channel Tunnel from London will reduce by some 23 to 25 minutes.
	It needs to be borne in mind that higher speeds require additional power and the right balance needs to be struck between keeping journey times short and carbon emissions down.
	The speed of the trains on high speed 1 is governed by the design speed of the railway based on track geometry, and the maximum speed of the trains themselves. The maximum speed of the current Eurostar train sets is around 335 kph based on the 2003 record run on section 1. The scheduled line speed between Ebbsfleet and the Channel Tunnel is 275 kph, although trains can travel at up to 300 kph if necessary.

Pedicabs

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received since June 2006 on the application of traffic regulations to pedicabs.

Gillian Merron: Since June 2006, the Secretary of State has received representations from the Minister for Housing and Planning, the hon. Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck), Peter Hendy, Commissioner of Transport for London and Martin Low, director of transportation at Westminster city council.

Railways: Accidents

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the rail accident investigation into the Oxenholme derailment.

Tom Harris: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is continuing with its investigation into the derailment and expects to publish a second interim report once its investigation into the condition of the points is complete.

Railways: Air Pollution

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the potential change in carbon dioxide emissions of operating longer trains.

Tom Harris: The Department has not made such an estimate. However, the Department recognises the carbon advantages that longer trains offer compared to other modes in meeting underlying demand. Based on average occupancy levels, trains produce around half the carbon emissions of cars per passenger kilometre.

Railways: Bicycles

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirement exists for train operating companies  (a) to carry and  (b) to provide space for carrying bicycles on their trains; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department has formally adopted as its own policy the Strategic Rail Authority cycling policy document published in November 2004. It expects all train operating companies to accommodate the carriage of non folding bicycles whenever possible, while recognising that in peak periods there may be circumstances where it is in the best interests of the majority of passengers not to do so.
	We believe that TOCs are best placed to know where and when such pressure on capacity exists and should be free to impose restrictions accordingly. TOCs should also specify the services that they define as peak. The carriage of folding bikes is recommended at all times.
	The Department has asked Cycling England, its advisory body on cycling, to report on how further improvements to integrate bike and rail journeys might be made.

Railways: Stockport

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the proposed service frequency is for Stockport in the invitation to tender issued by DfT Rail for New Cross Country; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The specification for the New Cross Country franchise requires Stockport to be served by a minimum of one train per hour in each direction. Bidders are free to stop more trains at Stockport if they believe that there is a call to do so and they can reach and agreement with Network Rail.

Railways: Traffic Congestion

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the potential reduction in motor vehicle journeys due to the extra capacity on the rail network.

Tom Harris: No estimate has been made of the reduction in motor vehicle journeys due to the extra capacity that will be provided on the rail network.

Rolling Stock

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the 1,000 new carriages in the high level output specification to which he referred in his speech to the rail conference on 14 March 2007 are in addition to any previously existing orders or anticipated orders which provide additional capacity rather than replacing other existing stock; how he expects any additional capacity to be funded; by whom he expects it to be funded; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The 1,000 new carriages will be in addition to any pre-existing orders. It is too early to predict how many of the existing fleet of approximately 11,400 rail carriages will be replaced by 2014. I can, however, reiterate the Government intention to commit to contracting with train operators for 1,000 additional carriages by 2014 to meet the rising demand for rail travel. This will form part of the capacity procured through the rail high level output specification to be published in July and will be in addition to any carriage replacements. The HLOS will be accompanied by a statement of funds available.

Rolling Stock: Virgin Trains

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the 1,000 new train carriages announced on 14 March 2007 will include the 106 carriages needed to reduce congestion on Virgin's Pendolino trains.

Tom Harris: It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of the new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the high level output specification and the long-term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the periodic review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation's advice to Ministers published in February 2007.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Fruit

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what quantity of  (a) fruit and  (b) vegetables was purchased by the Refreshment Department in each of the last three years; what the cost of these purchases was in each year; and if the Commission will estimate what percentage of each of these items was imported.

Nick Harvey: Accounts have not yet been finalised for the full year ending March 2007, but during the 11 months to February 2007, the Refreshment Department spent an estimated  (a) £103,000 on the purchase of fresh fruit and  (b) £290,000 on the purchase of fresh vegetables. Many fruit and vegetables are purchased by individual piece or bunch, not by weight or any other consistent measure, and so it is not possible to give an overall estimate of the quantity of fruit and vegetables purchased. If the hon. Member wishes to know the estimated quantity of specific items purchased during this period, he should write to the director of catering services, who will be pleased to let him have such details.
	Detailed purchase information is not currently available for the year 2005-06 due to technical issues that are being investigated by the software supplier. The director of catering services will write to the hon. Member with the purchase expenditure for fruit and vegetables when the requested information becomes available. No information is available for previous years.
	No record is kept of the country of origin of fruit and vegetables purchased and so it is not possible to estimate the percentage of imported produce.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many comfort boxes sent to UK military personnel in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq have been robbed (i) in transit and (ii) on arrival in theatre since the beginning of the current engagement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 As these incidents occurred at various times and places, the Royal Military Police have been asked to gather all the reports together. Once the details have been collated, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security measures he is taking to prevent comfort boxes sent to UK military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan from being robbed.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 April 2007
	Comfort boxes are secured in a standard transport container, using a security seal, by the unit concerned. Containers are then transported to a UK port, shipped by sea to the relevant port for the theatre and off-loaded prior to being transported using road transport to the location in-theatre where they are handed back to the unit, at which point the seals are checked again. From this point, containers are transported by road to the unit's base location.
	The Royal Military Police are currently gathering information on any thefts that have occurred during transit. Once the details have been collated and any possible improvements to container security in transit have been identified, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Casualties

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 854W, on the armed forces: casualties, whether the full board of inquiry report has been made available to the next of kin; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Adam Ingram: The remainder of the board of inquiry report into the death of Private Jason Smith, redacted in accordance with Data Protection and Freedom of Information Act considerations, has been made available to his next of kin, through their solicitor.
	The redacted board of inquiry report will be added to the Ministry of Defence publication scheme and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Inquests

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 17 April, on service personnel killed on operations: changes to arrangements for repatriation, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources available to the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner to carry out military inquests.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 23 April 2007
	The MOD engaged fully with the Wiltshire and Swindon coroner's office and Wiltshire county council during the planning stages to change the repatriation airhead from RAF Brize Norton to RAF Lynham. The Wiltshire and Swindon coroner plans to transfer as many inquests as he can to the jurisdiction of the "home" coroner.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to mark the 40(th) anniversary of the deployment of troops to Northern Ireland in 1969; and what representations he has received on the matter.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not intend to formally mark the 40(th) anniversary of the deployment of troops, although we are currently looking at appropriate ways of marking the end of Operation Banner which concludes on 31 July 2007. I hope to be in a position to announce the Department's plans to the House soon. The Department has received four representations from hon. Members on this topic and a number of inquiries from members of the public.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he made the calculation that the impact of the Budget on the lowest paid members of the armed forces who are single is that they will be worse off by the equivalent of £1 per week.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 16 April 2007
	 The calculation is based on the impact of the income tax rates and allowances for 2007-08 given in the Budget report, together with the reforms to personal tax which come into effect on 1 April 2008.
	Those with children may benefit from changes to the child element of child tax credit and the working tax credit threshold.
	Other relevant recent changes to armed forces remuneration include the pay rise for all service personnel which came into effect on 1 April 2007, when the annual salary of the lowest paid fully trained service personnel increased from £14,323 to £15,677—an increase in gross pay of £26 per week; and the new operational bonus introduced in October, which amounts to £12.31 per day, tax free, for all those deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Balkans.

Ballistic Missile Defence: USA

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the risks and benefits to the UK of allowing the US to install a ballistic missile defence system on British territory.

Des Browne: The UK already makes a valuable contribution to the US ballistic missile defence system through the programme to upgrade RAF Fylingdales. In 2002 the Ministry of Defence published a public discussion paper on missile defence, copies of which are available in the Library of the House and on the MOD website:
	www.mod.uk.

Defence and Communications Services Agency

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost has been of the project to rationalise communication systems in the Defence and Communications Services Agency; how many  (a) consultants and  (b) contractors have been employed in its implementation; at what cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Defence and Communication Services Agency's information technology project; whether he plans to establish an independent review of the programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the role of the ATLAS consortium was in the information technology rationalisation link; what the cost was of the Defence Information Infrastructure final solutions programme; and how many contractors were employed in its implementation.

Derek Twigg: Defence information infrastructure (Future) (DII(F)) is a £4 billion programme over 10 years, which will provide a single, coherent information infrastructure across defence. Its implementation, on an incremental basis, will underpin MOD's change programme and modernising Government agenda.
	The ATLAS Consortium (comprising EDS Defence Ltd as the principal contractor, with Fujitsu, General Dynamics, EADS and Logica CMG as key sub-contractors) was awarded the DII(F) contract on 21 March 2005 for a period of 10 years following full and open competition. The contract is subject to incremental commitment and implementation and at contract award the Department committed to the first increment only for the provision of a fully networked and managed IT service to around 70,000 user access devices and 200,000 users around the world. The contract was amended on 29 December 2006 to incorporate a second planned increment (2a) which will provide for nearly 44,000 additional user access devices and 58,000 user accounts in support of the defence change programme and other identified business priorities. This amendment was made in the light of an assessment of ATLAS' performance in supplying increment 1 up to that point in its delivery schedule. The number of employees within the consortium is a matter for them but it is of the order of 2000, on average.
	The number of consultants employed by MOD on the DII(F) project has varied and will continue to vary across the life of the project. As a result, the precise information requested together with the associated expenditure can be provided only at disproportionate cost, when looked at over the total life of the programme from its inception. The total budget for consultants approved to date under the DII programme is £57.5 million (rounded) since the inception of the programme, including work during the concept and assessment phases, leading up to the main competition and subsequently for later increments. As at 18 April 2007 the number directly employed on the project was 164.
	Throughout its life, the DII(F) project has been subject to regular review under the Office of Government Commerce gateway review procedure. Those reviews confirmed that the project is proceeding satisfactorily. As a result, I see no need for a further strategic review of the project at this time; the case for it remains valid and the contracted increments are proceeding within budgetary provision.

Defence and Communications Services Agency

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many private consultants were employed in each of the last 24 months by the Defence and Communication Services Agency; at what cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent by the Defence and Communication Services Agency on external management consultants in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to provide the number of consultants employed as we do not "employ" consultants on an individual basis—we contract with private consultancy companies for a service to provide clearly defined deliverables on agreed packages of work within specified timescales. The procurement of such consultancy assistance from the private sector is called "external assistance". However, the following table details the cost of engaging external assistance by the Defence Communication Services Agency—now DEandS Information Systems and Services—over the past five years.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 20.538 
			 2003-04 27.478 
			 2004-05 33.922 
			 2005-06 34.702 
			 2006-07 (1)24.767 
			 (1) This reflects the last forecast of outturn for financial year 2006-07 as at October 2006. Final figures not expected before early May 2007.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: As in previous years, we will publish this information in the MOD's annual report and accounts. I cannot therefore give a figure at this stage as the accounts are currently subject to audit by the National Audit Office. Copies of the annual report will be placed in the House Library on publication and made available on the departmental website at www.mod.uk. I expect this to be before the summer recess.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many people in his Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in his Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence records the number of people who leave the Department early but the records do not always show whether an individual has left under an early release scheme or whether the departure was for voluntary or compulsory reasons. The following table reflects the data held for the period requested and where we know it, whether they have left voluntarily or involuntarily. "Unconfirmed" is used where we do not know whether the departure was on voluntary or involuntary terms:
	
		
			   Voluntary  Involuntary  Unconfirmed  Grand total 
			 1997-98 600 655 475 1,730 
			 1998-99 120 640 410 1,175 
			 1999-2000 245 720 720 1,685 
			 2000-01 220 430 710 1,365 
			 2001-02 120 430 435 990 
			 2002-03 170 435 195 800 
			 2003-04 195 640 925 1,755 
			 2004-05 265 330 450 1,045 
			 2005-06 950 320 455 1,725 
			 2006-07 650 330 595 1,575 
			  Note: All numbers are rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum to the total figure precisely.  Source:  DASA (Civilian) 
		
	
	To provide the specific information on the sum that individuals were paid against each price band would require a Departmental-wide trawl. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been achieved since October 2006 on military reform in the Iraqi provinces of  (a) Al Basrah,  (b) Al Muthanna,  (c) Dhi Qar and (d) Maysan; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: 10 Division of the Iraqi Army, which covers all four provinces, has made significant progress. This was recently highlighted in Maysan when security responsibility for the province was transferred to the Iraqis. This transition occurred in Al Muthanna and Dhi Qar provinces in July and September 2006 respectively.
	In October 2006, 10 Division's capability was demonstrated when it took the lead in the later phases of Operation Sinbad in Basra, operating without overt coalition assistance. Elements of 10 Division are also supporting the Baghdad security plan. Coalition forces continue to provide training and mentoring and much remains to be done in the areas of logistics and leadership.
	Operational control of 10 Division was transferred to the new Iraqi military headquarters in Baghdad in January 2007. This transfer of command and control is a critical step toward handing over responsibility for delivering security in southern Iraq.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the reasons for the number of personnel listed as having sustained disease or non-battle injury during November 2006 as part of Operation Herrick and Operation Telic; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The temporary increase in levels of disease or non-battle injuries in both Operations Telic and Herrick was a result of the roulements in both theatres. An increase in those being treated for diarrhoea and vomiting type illnesses is common at such times, largely as a result of the climatic, food and environment changes experienced by those deploying into operational theatres. While such symptoms are unlikely to result in a patient being admitted to a hospital in the UK, individuals are admitted to hospital in theatre as returning them to barracks may lead to the spread of disease.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) the net cost has been of the British military operations in Iraq in each year from 2002-03 and  (b) the predicted cost is of continued British military presence in Iraq, broken down by month.

Des Browne: The costs of operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the MOD's annual report and accounts. The total of the annual audited figures for the costs of operations in Iraq for the years 2002-03 to 2005-06 was £4,026 million. A total estimated cost of £1,002 million for 2006-07 was included in the spring supplementary estimates published in February. Final figures will be published in the MOD's annual report and accounts for 2006-07.
	It is not possible to provide estimates for future years as planning assumptions are constantly changing with the varying tempo and requirements of the operation.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on information exchange with the US in the last 12 months with regard to achieving sovereign capability on the joint strike fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1440W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Rendition

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1455W, on rendition, whether the bilateral arrangements mentioned apply to state aircraft acting in a civilian capacity.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 24 April 2007
	The Department's bilateral arrangements cover routine flights by military aircraft from the relevant countries transiting UK airspace and landing in the UK. They also apply to other state aircraft landing at UK military airfields on routine business. These arrangements do not provide any form of immunity from customs and immigration procedures, national or international law, or regulations covering safe use of UK airspace. Action would be taken by the appropriate authority with MOD support should illegal activity be detected.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Grand Prix

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had on the future of Formula One Grand Prix racing at Silverstone.

Richard Caborn: The Government support and desire a British Grand Prix at Silverstone but our role remains one of dialogue and facilitation.
	I have attended a number of meetings to discuss the future of Formula One Grand Prix racing at Silverstone. The most recent meeting was on 20 March with the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) to discuss their plans for redevelopment of the Silverstone circuit.

Gaming Machines: Standards

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the testing regime for ensuring that gaming machines comply with the technical standards required under the Gambling Act 2005 has been finalised.

Richard Caborn: The testing regime for ensuring that gaming machines comply with the technical standards required under the Gambling Act 2005 has not been fully finalised. The Gambling Commission is working closely with the industry to discuss the testing regime and the timetable for those tests, including any necessary transitional arrangements to cover machines already in the market. The aim is for the overall testing strategy to be finalised in good time before the provisions of the Act become effective from 1 September 2007.

Gaming Machines: Standards

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether contractors have been selected to undertake on behalf of the Gambling Commission the tests required to ensure that gaming machines comply with the technical standards required under the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: The Gambling Commission has invited test houses to apply for approval to carry out tests required to ensure that gaming machines and remote gambling systems comply with the technical standards required under the Gambling Act. All prospective test houses will be required to undergo a Commission assessment on the suitability, integrity and independence of their business. They will also need to demonstrate accreditation to BS/EN ISO 17025, plus any additional features (skills, capabilities, capacity) that may be required to test to the Commission's technical standards. All test houses which meet the requirements will be granted approval, and operators will be able to choose which approved test house to use. The Commission has received three applications to date.

Horserace Totalisator Board

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent discussions her Department has had with personnel from HM Treasury on the future of the Tote;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the progress of the sale of the Tote.

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Treasury concerning the potential sale of the Tote;
	(2)  what plans she has for the sale of the Tote.

Richard Caborn: The Government have received and are considering a bid for the Tote from a consortium of racing interests and the staff and management of the Tote itself. The Government will announce shortly how they intend to proceed.

National Lottery

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average  (a) value of lottery receipts from sales made,  (b) number of applications for lottery awards from and  (c) number of lottery awards made in (i) England, (ii) the Eastern Region and  (c) Castle Point was in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: The national lottery operator, Camelot, does not collect ticket sales information on a constituency basis and does not routinely collect ticket sales data on a postcode basis. The most up-to-date sales data by postcode area are available in the Libraries of both Houses and provide information up to 2004. Information about the number of applications for lottery grants is not held centrally and the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The number and value of lottery awards made in England, in the Eastern Region and in the Castle Point parliamentary constituency in each of the last five completed financial years is given in the following table. This information is derived from the Department's lottery grants database, which uses information supplied by the lottery distributors and can be searched at:
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	
		
			   England  Eastern Region  Castle Point 
			   Number of awards  Value of awards to nearest £1 million  Number of awards  Value of awards to nearest £1 million  Number of awards  Value of awards to nearest £0.01 million 
			 2002-03 19,444 1,181 1,823 94 12 1.03 
			 2003-04 19,346 1,070 1,681 79 16 0.91 
			 2004-05 16,664 1,172 2,296 87 24 0.19 
			 2005-06 19,574 748 2,620 53 18 0.42 
			 2006-07 14,477 550 1,404 40 9 0.10

Olympic Games: Greater London

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that Colchester shares in the  (a) economic,  (b) social and  (c) sporting benefits arising from the 2012 Olympic games.

Richard Caborn: The Government are committed to ensuring that people across the UK, including Colchester can benefit from, and participate in, the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games. We are working closely with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) and the Nations and Regions Group (NRG), chaired by Charles Allen, which brings together representatives from every nation and region. Each nation and region is finalising its own plan to maximise the impact of the games in their area, as well as the wider opportunities to deliver a sustainable legacy from the games. The East of England released its regional plan on 28 March 2007. In developing the plan, consultation has taken place over the last two years. It can be found on the East of England Regional Development Agency website:
	<http://www.eeda.org.uk/27.asp>
	Further detailed information regarding the region's plan can be provided by the relevant NRG Coordinator, Katie Huane (East of England Development Agency, The Business Centre, Station Road, Histon, Cambridge, CB4 9LQ).
	In addition, Broxbourne in Hertfordshire will host the 2012 canoeing and kayaking and Weald country park near Brentwood in Essex will also host the Olympic mountain biking competitions. Together these events will add significant strength to the region's potential to benefit from the games.

Sport England: Expenditure

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Sport England spent on administration and running costs in each region in each of the last eight years.

Richard Caborn: The information requested for the last eight years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the regional administration costs, excluding salary costs, for the last six years.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 North East 59,462 59,828 94,616 107,090 135,051 84,900 540,947 
			 Yorks 104,004 111,185 146,495 106,896 178,036 125,086 771,702 
			 East Midlands 79,119 82,438 91,553 89,043 101,704 167,962 611,819 
			 East 82,939 78,786 80,512 84,596 99,868 114,420 541,121 
			 London 61,044 67,762 33,705 8,840 2,102 2,029 175,482 
			 South East 146,716 177,866 196,339 173,919 148,374 152,868 996,082 
			 South West 48,152 60,066 69,684 76,511 48,410 48,338 351,161 
			 West Midlands 147,061 136,944 116,605 77,131 106,117 126,392 710,250 
			 North West 159,226 151,313 137,078 177,440 162,935 175,653 963,645 
			 Total 887,723 926,188 966,587 901,466 982,597 997,648 5,662,209

Sport England: Manpower

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people Sport England employed in each region in each of the last eight years.

Richard Caborn: The information on staff employed in each Sport England region is not held in the format requested and could be provided for the eight year period only at disproportionate cost. The total number of staff employed in the regions over the last four years are:
	
		
			   Total number of Sport England  e mployees  Number of regional Sport England employees  Number of support centre employees 
			 2004 311 173 138 
			 2005 292 160 132 
			 2006 239 140 99 
			 2007(1) 276 174 102 
			 (1) As at 31 March 2007 
		
	
	For 2007 the staff numbers by region are:
	
		
			  Region  Number 
			 East 17 
			 East Midlands 18 
			 London 21 
			 North East 19 
			 North West 20 
			 South East 20 
			 South West 21 
			 West Midlands 21 
			 Yorkshire 17

Sport England: Publicity

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Sport England spent on advertising in each of the last eight years.

Richard Caborn: Information on money spent on advertising could be provided for the eight year period only at disproportionate cost. Money spent on recruitment advertising and Everyday Sport over the last six years is:
	
		
			   Advertising  Everyday Sport 
			 2001-02 477,083 — 
			 2002-03 159,000 — 
			 2003-04 72,000 — 
			 2004-05 134,000 — 
			 2005-06 265,000 2,001,043 
			 2006-07 470,000 859,307

Sport England: Finance

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of Sport England's budget was spent on  (a) sporting events,  (b) capital spending on sports facilities and  (c) support for individual sports men and women in each of the last eight years.

Richard Caborn: Data for the past eight years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the percentage of Sport England's budget spent on  (a) sports events,  (b) capital spending on sports facilities and  (c) support for individual sports men and women over in each of the last six years.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Percentage of budget spent on sports events 0.07 0.06 0.00 0.02 0.09 0.03 
			 Percentage of budget spent on capital facilities 37 69 39 27 40 4 
			 Percentage of budget spent on support for individuals (1) 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 (1 )World class athlete payments

Sports: Schools

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will instigate a national debate to promote sport and fitness in schools.

Richard Caborn: The Government implemented the National School Sport Strategy in 2002. This is underpinned by a joint DCMS/DfES PSA target, to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds participating in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week to 85 per cent. by 2008.
	The 2005-06 annual school sport survey showed that 80 per cent. of pupils in school sport partnership schools are participating in at least two hours in a typical week, which surpassed the target of 75 per cent. We are therefore making excellent progress towards the PSA target of 85 per cent. by 2008. The long-term ambition is to offer all children at least four hours of sport a week by 2010, comprising two hours at school and a further two to three hours delivered by a range of school, community and club providers.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departments: Parliamentary Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many oral questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to his Department have been transferred to other departments since May 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A total of 14 oral questions, tabled to this Department since May 2005, have been transferred to other Government Departments.

Financial Services: Marketing

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what safeguards are in place to ensure that businesses offering individual voluntary arrangements do not use misleading marketing; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Only an authorised insolvency practitioner is able to administer an individual voluntary arrangement. Insolvency practitioners are required to comply with professional standards agreed by the bodies that regulate them. All of the authorising bodies apply common ethical codes and professional standards to the insolvency practitioners and the way in which they obtain their work falls within the regulatory regime.
	In addition the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has made it clear that insolvency practitioners who act in relation to individual voluntary arrangements require a Consumer Credit License and are therefore subject to OFT regulation.
	Earlier this year the OFT warned 26 IVA providers that their advertisements and/or websites were potentially misleading and the OFT continues to monitor that situation.

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the percentage of the price of gas from the cost of companies buying gas is maintained through price fluctuations.

Malcolm Wicks: This is a commercial matter for the gas supply companies. As I mentioned in an earlier answer on 2 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1602W, Ofgem, as the independent sectoral regulator, keeps the level of competition in the gas market under review, and has the powers it needs to deal with any failure of competition.

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1601W, on natural gas: prices, what steps the Government have taken to encourage gas companies to consider their most valuable customers; and what the results were of such encouragement.

Malcolm Wicks: Subject to any regulatory controls, it is for gas suppliers, not Government, to determine who their most valuable customers are.

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will instruct the regulator to analyse and to report to him on the time taken between raw material gas prices falling and any reductions in domestic retail gas prices; and if he will place such a report in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: No. Ofgem, as the independent sectoral regulator, produced a fact-sheet last month called 'Household Energy Bills Explained', which explains why there is a time lag between the falls in the wholesale price and domestic prices see:
	http://www.ofgem.gov/uk/Media/FactSheets/Documents1/Update%20-%20Household%20energy%20hills%20 explained.pdf.
	As I mentioned in an earlier answer on 2 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1602W, Ofgem keeps the level of competition in the gas market under review, and has the powers it needs to deal with any failure of competition.

Redfern: Inquiry

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Redfern Inquiry will have access to the National Archives files on radiation exposure experiments from 1950.

Malcolm Wicks: If Mr. Redfern wishes to have access to the National Archives files on radiation exposure experiments, I am sure that he will make appropriate representations to see them.

Small Business Service

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the reorganisation of the Small Business Service.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 24 April 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 26 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 95-97WS.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Absconding Prisoners

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans he has to introduce greater deterrents for prisoners who abscond from custody in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Details of prisoners who escape from prison custody are brought to the attention of the relevant authorities with a view to prosecution. In cases where prisoners have absconded while on temporary release, prosecution is also possible.
	In addition, the governor is able to punish the prisoner with a range of measures including cellular confinement. The prisoner also has the number of days he was unlawfully at large added to his original release date.

Alzheimer's Treatment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on the provision of Alzheimer's treatment by the NHS in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: A range of treatment and care is provided for people with Alzheimer's disease, across the primary, community, specialist and secondary care sectors.
	The treatment and management of Alzheimer's disease includes life-style measures and therapeutic interventions, which aim to promote active physical and mental health and help maintain an individual's capacity for independence. Appropriate drug interventions are also provided, including medicines designed to improve cognitive function

Northern Ireland Office

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what effect he expects the transfer of responsibilities to the devolved Assembly to have on the future size of the Northern Ireland Office; and what estimate he has made of the likely change in administrative costs.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office—as distinct from the 11 Northern Ireland Civil Service Departments—will be relatively unaffected by the restoration of devolution on 8 May, although there will be a reduction in the NIO ministerial team.
	The eventual devolution of policing and justice functions will, of course, have a much greater impact on the size of the NIO. When that happens, the respective administrative funding streams attached to those functions will devolve with them.

Cancer

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years, broken down by type of cancer.

Paul Goggins: The following table details information on the incidence of cancers by type of cancer in Northern Ireland for each of the last six years for which data were available.
	
		
			  Table: Cancer incidence in Northern Ireland 1999-2004 
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Lip, Oral Cavity &Pharynx (COO-C14) 147 127 128 129 132 153 
			 Oesophagus (CIS) 153 138 165 144 150 155 
			 Stomach (C16) 264 234 255 258 263 203 
			 Small intestine (C17) 30 38 23 24 27 24 
			 Colon (CIS) 623 545 586 617 623 598 
			 Rectum, Rectosigmoid Junction and Anus (C19-21) 282 338 368 299 388 356 
			 Liver & Intrahepatic Bile Ducts (C22) 52 64 25 65 54 46 
			 Pancreas (C25) 122 146 171 170 160 153 
			 Larynx (C32) 79 60 64 64 62 53 
			 Trachea, Bronchus & Lung (C33,C34) 870 860 893 868 892 932 
			 Bone (C40-41) 12 11 7 8 11 17 
			 Malignant Melanoma (C43) 178 187 216 247 212 260 
			 Non-melanoma Skin Cancer (C44) 2260 2211 2160 2380 2417 2283 
			 Mesothelioma (C45) 63 44 56 59 42 46 
			 Breast (C50) 954 967 931 953 1043 1119 
			 Cervix Uteri (C53) 76 94 72 82 75 67 
			 Corpus Uteri (C54) 119 144 143 158 176 156 
			 Ovary (C56) 183 168 177 191 214 205 
			 Prostate (C61) 494 576 554 652 739 757 
			 Testis (C62) 56 68 51 56 56 69 
			 Kidney (C64-C66,C68) 159 161 169 181 206 187 
			 Bladder (C67) 214 210 183 171 225 210 
			 Brain (C71) 85 110 119 124 116 89 
			 Thyroid (C73) 41 38 42 49 43 33 
			 Hodgkin's Disease (C81) 40 36 40 28 37 40 
			 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (C82-C85,C96) 246 270 252 255 267 282 
			 Multiple Myeloma (C90) 85 110 117 97 104 102 
			 Leukaemia (C91-C95) 148 167 143 178 122 145 
			 Other 579 607 589 677 589 565 
			 Total 8614 8729 8699 9184 9445 9305 
			  Notes: 1. Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland for a particular period. 2. Incidence of cancer are identified using version 10 of the international classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD10). 3. The "Other" category includes other haematological cancers, cancer of the gallbladder, other biliary tract and other digestive system, cancer of other connective systems, cancer of the vulva, vagina and penis, cancer of the eye and lymph nodes and cancers with an ill defined or unknown primary site. This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up to date currently available.

Doctors: Training

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the evidential basis was for the decision on the relative proportion of speciality training and fixed term speciality training posts in Northern Ireland; and by whom the decision was made.

Paul Goggins: The decision on the proportion of speciality training and fixed terms speciality training posts in NI was based on work force planning projections. The decision was made by my Department in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency.

Doctors: Training

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost has been of  (a) modernising medical careers in Northern Ireland and  (b) the Medical Training Application Service in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The total cost attributed to Modernising Medical Careers is £1.7 million.
	The total spend to date for the introduction of Modernising Medical Careers is £1.565 million. The Northern Ireland contribution to the Medical Training Application Service is £165,000.

Domestic Wastes

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) total and  (b) average amount of domestic waste was produced per household in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The latest complete and validated data for municipal waste is for the financial year 2005-06. This indicates that:
	 (a) The total amount of household waste arisings in Northern Ireland for 2005-06 was 937,331 tonnes.
	 (b) The average amount of waste collected per household in 2005-06 was 1.36 tonnes, equating to 26.2 kg per household per week.

EU Grants and Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which programmes have been funded in Northern Ireland from the PEACE budget of the European Regional Development Fund in the last 12 months.

David Hanson: A list of projects awarded funding since April 2006 under the European Regional Development Fund measures of the PEACE II Programme has been placed in the Library of the House. In addition to this, 46 individuals have been awarded funding. Due to data protection considerations these names have not been included.

Fly Tipping

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had in the last 12 months with Ministers from the government of the Republic of Ireland on illegal dumping in Northern Ireland of waste from the Republic of Ireland.

David Cairns: I discussed the matter of illegal cross-border waste movements at a meeting with Dick Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland on 2 October 2006. Issues discussed, including enhanced co-operation between the relevant authorities on illegal waste movements, are being carried forward by officials in both jurisdictions.

Health Services

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are planned to be taken to ensure that sufficient medical staff are available to provide a high standard of patient care in Northern Ireland during the first week of August 2007.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency is implementing a rigorous recruitment process that will be completed by the end of May. The best quality applicants will be appointed and will be in post by 1 August 2007.

International Fund for Ireland

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which projects have been funded in Northern Ireland by the International Fund for Ireland in the last 12 months.

David Hanson: The International Fund for Ireland is administered by an independent board appointed jointly by the British and Irish Governments and all matters pertaining to the projects supported by the fund are a matter for that board. I will forward the request to the chairman of the International Fund for Ireland and ask him to respond directly and I will place a copy of the reply in the House of Commons Library.
	The fund's annual reports list the projects funded. The 2006 report has been published and a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Local Government

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what powers and responsibilities he intends to devolve to councils in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Details are set out in statements made on 22 November 2005,  Official Report, columns 106-111WS and on 21 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS.

Ministerial Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days he spent in Northern Ireland on official business in each of the last 12 months; and on how many occasions he stayed overnight.

Peter Hain: From April 2006 to March 2007 inclusive, I have spent 123 days in Northern Ireland. It is not appropriate to disclose details of where I spend my nights as this is considered personal information with security implications.
	In addition to the time spent in Northern Ireland, I undertake NIO business in Parliament and in the Northern Ireland Office, London. As a member of the Cabinet I have additional duties including attending Cabinet meetings on Thursday mornings.

Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation: Public Appointments

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland approved the procedure for the recent appointment of a board member of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation.

Maria Eagle: The recent appointment by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to the board of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation (since 1 April 2007 the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation) was carried out with the approval of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for NI (OCPANI), under the OCPANI monitored kitemark scheme.

Pedestrian Crossings: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many complaints his Department has received about the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the health and safety implications of the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court;
	(3)  if he will allocate funding to provide pedestrian crossing on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court;
	(4)  what the  (a) date,  (b) time,  (c) duration and  (d) nature was of each survey carried out on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near Montgomery Court, in order to assess the need for a pedestrian crossing in the provision at this location;

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 24 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 4 Parliamentary Questions regarding:
	how many complaints his Department has received about the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court. (133111)
	what assessment he has made of the health and safety implications of the lack of pedestrian crossing provision on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court. (133115)
	if he will allocate funding to provide pedestrian crossing on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near to Montgomery Court. (133116)
	what the (a) date, (b) time, (c) duration and (d) nature was of surveys carried out on the High Donaghadee Road in Bangor, near Montgomery Court, in order to assess the need or a pedestrian crossing in the provision of this location. (133389)
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I should explain that Roads Service's policy in relation to pedestrian crossings is to provide such facilities where there is an identifiable need and where the conditions at any potential site make it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road. An integral part of the process is an assessment of the 'demand' and 'difficulty' of crossing the road at the location concerned. The initial part of our assessment process uses the number of pedestrians (the initial demand factor) and the volume of traffic (the initial difficulty factor) to give an indication of the potential 'conflict' at a site. The assessment of the need for a crossing is then supplemented using a scorecard, which assigns scores to various other 'demand' and 'difficulty' factors, including collision history at the site. This policy is designed to assess the need and to prioritise locations where pedestrians encounter difficulties in crossing the road due to the high volumes of vehicular traffic. This is applied consistently and impartially when assessing all requests in Northern Ireland, so that available funding can be directed at those with the greatest need.
	With regard to the number of complaints received in relation to the lack of crossing facilities on the High Donaghadee Road between the roundabout with the East Circular road and the junction with the Ballycrochan Road, I can advise that since September 2005, five individuals have corresponded with Roads Service over this issue. In total these five people have written on nine occasions, with one resident including a petition of approximately 150 signatures. Roads Service has no record of complaints about the lack of pedestrian crossing facilities at this location prior to 2005.
	In relation to health and safety implications, I am advised that survey observations, obtained as part of the process for determining the need for a controlled pedestrian crossing facility, concluded that there were a very small number of pedestrians wishing to cross the road at this location and as such, it was considered that there was little conflict between pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
	In light of the survey findings, I am afraid that it is not possible to make funding available for a controlled pedestrian crossing facility at this location at this time. However, in such circumstances Roads Service may consider other measures to assist pedestrians, such as footway build-outs and central refuge islands, which shorten the crossing width and improve visibility thereby reducing the crossing difficulty. Central refuges can be particularly useful to vulnerable pedestrians such as elderly people.
	I am pleased to advise you that Roads Service is presently designing such a scheme for this location. However, I have to stress that this proposal is at a very early stage and will require a degree of public consultation prior to the detailed layout being finalised. Hopefully we will be able to complete this work within the current financial year.
	Finally, with regard to your enquiry for details of the surveys, I can advise that they were carried out on the High Donaghadee Road, between Ballymaconnell Road South and Ballycrochan Road, on 7 September 2005 between 8 and 10 am, on 3 October 2005 between 2 and 4 pm and on 5 October 2005 between 4 and 6 pm. Surveys were also carried out on the High Donaghadee Road, between Ashford Drive and Kilmaine Road, on 9 November 2005 between 4 and 6 pm and on 10 November 2005 between 8 and 10 am. These surveys involved the counting of vehicles passing along the High Donaghadee Road and the numbers of pedestrians crossing within 50m either side of the centre of the survey zone.

Public Libraries: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made by his Department of the adequacy of the public library provision in Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Responsibility for delivering the Northern Ireland public library service, including securing appropriate library accommodation for this area, rests with the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB).
	DCAL has approved funding for a major extension and refurbishment of the existing Bangor library. The enhanced library will provide accommodation of over 2,000m(2) making it one of the largest public libraries in Northern Ireland.
	The SEELB had to decant from Bangor library at the end of March 2007 to facilitate the commencement of this work. Arrangements are being made for the library to open in temporary premises in two units in the Flagship shopping centre from 21 May 2007 for the duration of the contract. Until 21 May, a library service will be provided from a mobile library outside the Hamilton road library. Information on these temporary arrangements has been made widely available by the SEELB.

Religious Persons

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the last 12 months  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers in his Department have met leaders of (i) the Presbyterian Church, (ii) the Roman Catholic Church, (iii) the Church of Ireland, (iv) the Methodist Church, (v) the Baptist Union of Ireland, (vi) the Free Presbyterian Church, (vii) the Elim Pentecostal Church, (viii) the Reformed Presbyterian Church (ix) the Congregational Union of Ireland, (x) the Evangelican Alliance (xi) Evangelical Continuation in Northern Ireland and (xi) the Caleb Foundation.

Peter Hain: I have met church leaders on numerous occasions as have my Ministers in my Department. Ministers and civil servants meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties. It is not normal practice to disclose the detail of such meetings.

Sexual Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted on charges relating to having sexual intercourse with an underage person in each district command unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; what percentage of these cases resulted in a custodial sentence; and what the average length of the prison term was.

David Hanson: Data relating to the number of prosecutions and convictions for sexual intercourse with an underage person are not collected. It is only possible to provide information for those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim of buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge.
	Table 1 gives the number of prosecutions and convictions for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences by District Command Unit for the calendar years 2003 to 2005.
	Due to small numbers of prosecutions and convictions in each District Command Unit, the average length of those sentenced to immediate custody has not been provided for individual District Command Units. Tables 2 to 4 document the total number prosecuted and convicted, the number and percentage sentenced to immediate custody and the average sentence length in months for these offences in each of the three years.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of prosecution and convictions for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences by District Command Unit 2003-05( 1,2,3,4,5,6) 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted 
			  Buggery   
			 Antrim 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Ards 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Belfast, East 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Belfast, West 1 0 0 0 2 1 
			 Ballymena 0 0 2 1 0 0 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Carrickfergus 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Down 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Foyle 0 0 4 2 0 0 
			 Lisburn 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Newtownabbey 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Total 2 1 14 7 5 1 
			
			  Unlawful carnal knowledge   
			 Antrim 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Belfast, East 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Belfast, South 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Craigavon 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Ballymena 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Down 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Larne 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Limavady 1 1 0 0 1 1 
			 Lisburn 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Newtownabbey 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 North Down 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Omagh 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Strabane 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Other UK addresses 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Total 6 6 7 6 8 7 
			 Overall total 8 7 21 13 13 8 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number prosecuted, convicted, the number and percentage sentenced to immediate custody and the average sentence length (months) for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences 2003( 1,2,3,4) 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Number given immediate custody  Percentage  given immediate custody  Average sentence length ( M onths) 
			 Buggery 2 1 1 100 84 
			 Unlawful carnal knowledge 6 6 1 17 60 
			 Total 8 7 2 29 72 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number prosecuted, convicted, the number and percentage sentenced to immediate custody and the average sentence length (months) for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences 2004( 1,2,3,4) 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Number given immediate custody  Percentage  given immediate custody  Average sentence length ( M onths) 
			 Buggery 14 7 5 71 90 
			 Unlawful carnal knowledge 7 6 3 50 20 
			 Total 21 13 8 62 64 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Number prosecuted, convicted, the number and percentage sentenced to immediate custody and the average sentence length (months) for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences 2005( 1,2,3,4,6) 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Number given immediate custody  Percentage  given immediate custody  Average sentence length ( M onths) 
			 Buggery 5 1 1 100 96 
			 Unlawful carnal knowledge 8 7 3 43 17 
			 Total 13 8 4 50 37 
			 (1) Buggery offences included here are 'buggery with boy under 17 years' and 'buggery with a girl under 17 years'. (2) Unlawful carnal knowledge offences include 'unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14' and 'unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17'. (3) Data are collated on the principal offence rule; thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included. (4) Data represent the total number of convictions and prosecutions for offences in Northern Ireland courts. In 2003 and 2004, there were offenders with other UK addresses. (5) Data in Table 1 are based on the police District Command Unit in which an offender's address falls. Data are only included for those District Command Units which have convictions and prosecutions in the calendar years 2003 to 2005. (6) Data for 2005 are provisional.

Sexual Offences: Sentencing

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to introduce changes to the law on the sentencing of sex offenders in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Later this year I intend to consult on a set of draft legislative proposals for a radical change to the structure of sentencing in Northern Ireland. These proposals include the introduction of indeterminate and extended public protection sentences that would in future put an end to automatic 50 per cent. remission for dangerous violent and sexual offenders. These sentences would mean that those committing the most serious offences could if necessary be detained indefinitely, while those committing other specified offences could be detained to the end of their prison sentence.
	Separately I also intend to publish draft legislation to reform the law on sexual offences, with tough new penalties proposed for abusive sexual behaviour which violates the criminal code.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Programme

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed within the 101 programme; what the total cost is of their annual salaries; and what the annual cost is of the salary of the head of the programme.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 March 2007
	There are currently eight (full-time equivalent) people employed within the 101 programme with an additional 6.5 (full-time equivalent) specialist consultants to provide specific telecommunications, information technology and business analysis expertise.
	The total cost of the annual salaries for the eight employees for 2007-08 including all on costs (national insurance and pension contributions) is expected to be approximately £450,000. The total cost of the additional 6.5 specialist consultants including all fees is expected to be approximately £760,000.
	It is not the policy of the Home Office to disclose the details of a specific individual's salary but the cost of the salary of the programme director for 2007-08 is 0.5 (full-time equivalent) of Home Office grade six pay band, which is currently expected to cost between £27,199 and £35,313 plus on costs (national insurance and pension contributions).

Autism

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the partnership between Dyfed Powys Police, North Wales Police and Autism Cymru to develop an assessment of the needs of people with autistic spectrum disorders; and what plans he has to introduce a similar scheme in England.

Tony McNulty: A local assessment of the scheme has been carried out by North Wales Police in partnership with Autism Cymru. The findings have proved to be beneficial to both the Police and Communities in Wrexham and Flintshire. A report of the findings has now been received by the National Policing Improvement Agency, who will evaluate them with a view to sharing good practice with Police colleagues throughout the Police Service of England and Wales.

Burglaries: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded burglaries there were in each London borough in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of those recorded burglaries led to a conviction in each year, broken down by borough.

Vernon Coaker: The statistics are not available in the form requested. Recorded burglary statistics relate to offences and convictions data relates to offenders. In addition, recorded crime data are published on a financial year basis and conviction data are published on a calendar year basis. For these reasons, the two data sources are therefore not directly comparable.
	Figures for the number of offences recorded and the number of convictions are provided in the tables. Recorded crime data at borough level are only available from 2000-01.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded offences of burglary by London borough, 2000-01 and 2001-02 
			  Borough  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,970 2,220 
			 Barnet 4,107 3,954 
			 Bexley 2,583 2,394 
			 Brent 4,441 4,099 
			 Bromley 3,263 3,580 
			 Camden 5,305 5,857 
			 City of Westminster 5,403 5,646 
			 Croydon 3,779 4,131 
			 Ealing 4,637 4,533 
			 Enfield 3,973 4,411 
			 Greenwich 3,050 2,794 
			 Hackney 4,298 4,287 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,076 2,789 
			 Haringey 4,159 4,803 
			 Harrow 2,791 2,623 
			 Havering 2,356 2,567 
			 Hillingdon 4,085 3,643 
			 Hounslow 3,415 3,192 
			 Islington 4,292 4,567 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,555 2,826 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,349 1,180 
			 Lambeth 6,150 6,974 
			 Lewisham 3,287 3,490 
			 Merton 1,792 1,967 
			 Newham 3,460 3,886 
			 Redbridge 2,798 2,899 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,384 2,174 
			 Southwark 4,235 5,016 
			 Sutton 1,471 1,820 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,714 3,262 
			 Waltham Forest 3,123 4,012 
			 Wandsworth 4,023 4,352 
			 Total 112,324 115,948 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences of burglary by London Borough, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			  Borough  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,012 2,240 2,175 1,921 
			 Barnet 4,039 3,978 4,045 4,363 
			 Bexley 2,341 2,226 1,986 2,366 
			 Brent 3,859 4,062 3,987 3,904 
			 Bromley 3,596 3,472 3,776 3,926 
			 Camden 5,884 4,843 4,171 4,108 
			 City of Westminster 5,264 4,296 4,497 4,158 
			 Croydon 4,115 3,769 3,230 3,582 
			 Ealing 4,543 4,375 4,350 4,999 
			 Enfield 4,301 3,865 3,528 3,844 
			 Greenwich 2,986 3,080 2,970 3,209 
			 Hackney 4,807 4,327 3,897 3,547 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,089 2,827 3,023 3,052 
			 Haringey 4,356 4,115 4,084 3,841 
			 Harrow 2,736 2,626 2,178 2,446 
			 Havering 2,386 2,161 2,315 2,453 
			 Hillingdon 3,569 3,183 3,143 3,137 
			 Hounslow 3,374 3,450 2,969 2,982 
			 Islington 4,429 3,957 3,681 3,683 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,512 2,576 2,580 2,444 
			 Kingston upon Thames 985 939 984 1,188 
			 Lambeth 5,694 4,980 4,150 3,884 
			 Lewisham 3,708 3,837 3,778 3,524 
			 Merton 1,930 2,034 1,764 1,796 
			 Newham 3,494 3,398 3,410 4,112 
			 Redbridge 2,974 2,990 3,058 3,282 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,120 1,787 2,017 2,395 
			 Southwark 4,885 4,556 4,411 4,143 
			 Sutton 1,446 1,397 1,429 1,480 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,567 3,023 3,070 3,467 
			 Waltham Forest 3,812 3,284 3,144 3,131 
			 Wandsworth 4,547 3,664 3,616 3,108 
			 Total 113,360 105,317 101,416 103,475 
			  Note: The National crime Recording standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures for earlier years are therefore not directly comparable. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of defendants found guilty at all courts of burglary, broken down by London court area, 1996 to  2005( 1,2,3) 
			  London Court Area  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 City of London   
			 Guildhall Justice Rooms 37 26 25 23 14 38 29 27 24 29 
			
			 Inner London Courts   
			 Bow Street 98 80 66 68 56 64 87 82 67 59 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge 293 402 372 378 326 276 343 341 365 297 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 216 188 202 165 180 177 180 168 170 177 
			 Highbury Corner 365 301 286 245 262 223 293 264 253 230 
			 Horseferry Road 124 105 144 170 175 156 173 173 129 157 
			 Marylebone 99 109 98 88 34 4 - - 5 2 
			 South Western 141 166 119 145 145 133 154 149 120 96 
			 Thames 92 111 74 243 334 298 294 326 220 248 
			 West London 76 183 131 155 204 193 191 202 191 205 
			 Inner London Juvenile Courts 447 94 48 31 - -  - - - 
			 Total - Inner London 1,951 1,739 1,540 1,688 1,716 1,524 1,715 1,705 1,520 1,471 
			
			 Outer London   
			 Barking and Dagenham 75 74 92 59 62 59 56 75 69 56 
			 Bar net 84 107 99 56 88 77 107 97 89 84 
			 Bexley 82 54 72 75 54 57 57 41 37 54 
			 Brent 124 121 93 75 105 91 91 70 85 114 
			 Bromley 93 77 81 59 62 71 62 76 107 91 
			 Croydon 125 162 174 117 118 133 107 100 100 78 
			 Baling 132 94 101 84 92 88 113 113 98 123 
			 Enfield 74 86 94 81 116 82 127 113 86 100 
			 Haringey 104 125 98 87 111 99 83 110 100 107 
			 Harrow 44 49 44 43 48 55 62 60 52 47 
			 Havering 34 57 71 74 39 45 61 52 55 52 
			 Hillingdon 58 78 78 72 89 87 91 69 77 57 
			 Hounslow 86 84 116 119 109 95 92 48 87 82 
			 Kingston upon Thames 52 49 42 48 37 38 42 47 43 49 
			 Merton 73 82 65 68 52 54 51 68 59 76 
			 Newham 116 134 145 103 83 65 113 116 106 141 
			 Redbridge 90 58 60 69 56 66 55 52 92 72 
			 Richmond upon Thames 75 47 43 63 56 53 71 46 63 63 
			 Sutton 71 60 72 42 46 55 72 50 60 37 
			 Waltham Forest 99 118 124 87 93 79 111 85 88 77 
			
			 Total -Outer London 1,691 1,716 1,764 1,481 1,516 1,449 1,624 1,488 1,553 1,560 
			 Total 3,679 3,481 3,329 3,192 3,246 3,011 3,368 3,220 3,097 3,060 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis . (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) The above data comprises burglary in a dwelling, aggravated burglary in a dwelling, burglary other than in a dwelling and aggravated burglary in a building other than a dwelling.   Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Ref IOS 209-07

Community Support Officers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the impact of community safety police teams.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office evaluation of the National Reassurance Policing Programme published in 2006 provides strong evidence that a neighbourhood policing approach—which uses locally-based neighbourhood policing teams to target local community safety priorities—can reduce crime and perceptions of antisocial behaviour, and improve public confidence in the police, feelings of safety, community engagement and police patrol visibility.
	The Home Office is monitoring and evaluating the neighbourhood policing programme across England and Wales, rather than the performance of individual teams, through a strategic research programme, the results of which will be published in due course.
	The Home Office also continues to assess police performance, including the impact of neighbourhood policing, through the Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF), while inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary also provide a qualitative assessment of neighbourhood policing delivery.

Crime: Surveys

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department expects to reach a conclusion on the appropriateness of extending the British Crime Survey to include those who are aged under 16 years old; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 24 April 2007
	Extending the British Crime Survey to include those aged under 16 years old was one of the recommendations of the independent review of crime statistics led by Professor Adrian Smith that reported in November 2006. Smith recommended the Home Office should draw on the advice of experts in making such changes and there should be careful piloting so that the effect of such a change could be properly assessed before the extension is incorporated into the main BCS sample. We intend to commission work in the near future from experts in sampling and conducting surveys to provide advice on how this work could be taken forward. We expect to reach a conclusion on this work in the autumn of 2007.

Criminal Justice Bill

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be in a position to introduce to Parliament the Criminal Justice Bill announced in the Queen's Speech 2006.

John Reid: As my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons indicated in response to a question from the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) at business questions on 19 April 2007,  Official Report, column 442, the criminal justice Bill will be brought forward in due course.

Departments: Publications

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on unpublished research in  (a) 2005 and  (b) each of the previous five years.

John Reid: The information requested is not held centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.

Human Trafficking

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking has met in the last 12 months; and how often it plans to meet in the next 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: In the last 12 months the group has met four times and will continue to be arranged on a quarterly basis.

Identity Cards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he expects to submit a final cost estimate for the identity cards scheme to HM Treasury;
	(2)  when his Department first submitted a cost estimate of the identity cards scheme to HM Treasury; and what that cost estimate was.

Joan Ryan: My Department has and will continue to maintain close contact with HM Treasury in relation to the estimates of expenditure on the National Identity Scheme.
	Initial cost estimates for a card scheme were published in July 2002 in the consultation paper "Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud" (CM5557)
	Revised cost estimates have been published from time-to-time, for example, when the Identity Cards Bill was introduced to Parliament. During the passage of that legislation, the Government agreed to lay a report before Parliament every six months, which sets out the estimated cost of the National Identity Scheme for the coming 10 years.
	The National Identity Scheme is being built around plans first to issue biometric passports incorporating; fingerprints which many countries will be implementing in 2009; and second, to issue biometric visas and immigration documents to foreign nationals. The procurement projects will therefore in the main deliver generic facilities covering, for example, the recording and storage of biometric information for passport and immigration purposes as well as ID cards.
	As with any major project or programme, cost estimates will continue to be revised as it reaches key stages in its development, such as commencing procurement, signing contracts with suppliers and the commencement of live operations.

Immigration Controls

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are carried out to assess the employability of non-EU citizens applying to enter the UK.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	There are a number of schemes under which non-EU nationals can apply to work in the UK. Details of these, including the requirements and evidence which should be submitted, can be found on the UKvisas website (www.ukvisas.gov.uk). Two of the largest schemes are Work Permits and the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) and details of the requirements and processes of these are given.
	Non-EU nationals can also be permitted to work if they enter the UK under a long-term category, such as husband/wife/partner, though there is no requirement for them to demonstrate their employability in order for entry clearance to be issued.
	 Work Permits
	If a non-EU citizen is required to have a work permit to apply to enter the UK, their UK-based employer, as part of the work permit application process, is required to:
	demonstrate that the non-EU citizen has the skills, qualifications and experience to enable them to do the job on offer (except under the Sectors Based Scheme);
	inform the Border and Immigration Agency how they verified the non-EU citizen's qualifications and skills for most Business and Commercial and Training and Work Experience applications; and
	demonstrate that the non-EU citizen has appropriate registration with a UK professional organisation, for example, the Nursing and Midwifery Council or the General Medical Council, where that is required by legislation.
	The employer is required to provide supporting documentation. The Border and Immigration Agency may request original documents where copies have been supplied and, if necessary, check their authenticity.
	A work permit holder must apply for entry clearance before travelling to the UK. This will be granted provided the Entry Clearance Officer is satisfied that the applicant:
	holds a valid work permit and is capable of undertaking the employment specified;
	is not below the age of 13 years;
	does not intend to take employment except as specified on the work permit;
	intends to leave the UK on expiry of the work permit (where a work permit is due to expire within 12 months); and
	is able to be maintained and accommodated (and any dependants) adequately without recourse to public funds.
	 HSMP
	The HSMP is a points based immigration route. If a non-EU citizen wishes to enter the UK as a highly skilled migrant they must demonstrate their highly skilled status by scoring 75 points across the following areas:
	qualifications held;
	previous earnings;
	age; and
	UK experience.
	Applicants must also demonstrate that they hold English language skills to the required level. Successful HSMP applicants do not require a prior offer of employment to enter the UK.
	When considering HSMP applications, the Border and Immigration Agency requests original documents and, where necessary, checks their authenticity.

Intermittent Custody

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average travelling distance from home to intermittent custody centres is for women prisoners subject to  (a) a weekday and  (b) a weekend intermittent custody order, broken down by centre;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of  (a) female and  (b) male prisoners are subject to an intermittent custody order;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of intermittent custody orders have been made for  (a) weekday and  (b) weekend custody in each year since their introduction under the Criminal Justice Act 2003;
	(4)  how many intermittent custody centres there are in England and Wales; and how many places there are for  (a) female and  (b) male prisoners in each centre.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The two intermittent custody pilots at HMP Kirkham for male offenders and HMP Morton Hall for female offenders came to and end in November 2006. Each centre accommodated up to 39 offenders.
	During the pilots we did not hold records on travelling distances for offenders to the IC centres. However, the IC evaluation found that the geographically larger female pilot catchment area meant that women spent longer travelling, usually by public transport, to the IC centre than men.
	On 23 April 2007 there was one female prisoner currently recalled at Morton Hall serving an intermittent custody order. The total number of intermittent custody orders during the pilot was 456; of these, 384 offenders were subject to weekend custody, and 72 offenders were subject to weekday custody.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Police: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each London borough are on paid sick leave.

Tony McNulty: Information on sick leave absences is collected annually and only at force level. In the Metropolitan Police Service for 2005-06 the average number of hours lost per annum was 54.3 hours per officer.

Police: Retirement

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average retirement age was of police officers in each of the last 15 years.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1091, which provides all the relevant information that is available.

Police: Schools

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many schools in England and Wales have an allocated police officer, broken down by local authority area.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not collect this information centrally.

Prisoners: Locks and Keys

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders in  (a) Category C prisons,  (b) Category D prisons and  (c) youth offender institutions in England and Wales have access to the keys for their cells.

John Reid: No prisoners have cell keys in their possession. In 32 Category C prisons, six semi-open prisons and five closed young offender institutions (YOIs), cells are fitted with privacy locks which enable prisoners to open and close their cells only during periods when the cell locks have been unlocked by staff. Privacy locks do not enable prisoners to leave their cells unless unlocked by staff, nor do they enable them to prevent staff from entering. Open prisons and open YOIs do not normally have cell locks on individual cells.

Respect Task Force: Advertising

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Respect Task Force has spent on advertising since its establishment; and what the projected advertising budget is for each of the next two financial years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 23 April 2007
	Since its establishment in September 2005, the Respect Task Force has spent £35,580.32 on advertising.
	Currently, we have no committed expenditure on advertising over the next two years. Any further advertising that is commissioned will be dependent on budget allocations and communication plans which have yet to be settled in detail.

Special Constables

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1651W, on special constables, for what reasons the recruitment figures are not published in the Police Service Strength Bulletin; and if he will publish such figures in future editions.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 23 April 2007
	The annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin series "Police Service Strength, England and Wales" publish joiners and leavers data for special constables. The data for joiners take into consideration not only those individuals who are recruited to the force, but also those who transfer between forces and those who leave the force and subsequently rejoin at a later date. For this reason, data for joiners are considered a more accurate representation of changes in strength than recruits. Data are published in this way not only for special constables but also for police officers.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departments: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people employed by his Department were working in Huddersfield in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Murphy: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 bringing together the former Department of Social Security and Employment Service. Information on the number of people employed by the Department in Huddersfield at 31 March each year following its formation is in the following table. The figures are also included as at 28 February 2007, the latest available.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			 31 March 2002 414 
			 31 March 2003 421 
			 31 March 2004 389 
			 31 March 2005 355 
			 31 March 2006 292 
			 28 February 2007 277

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measure are  (a) in place and  (b) planned to be introduced to help lone parents into employment.

Jim Murphy: The following measures are already in place to help eligible lone parents into employment, some of which are open to eligible people other than lone parents:
	New Deal for Lone Parents
	New Deal Plus for Lone Parents
	Work Focused Interviews
	Programme Centres
	Work Trials
	Childcare Subsidy
	Childcare Assist
	In-Work Credit
	In-Work Emergency Fund
	Adviser Discretion Fund
	Job Grant
	Mortgage Interest Run On
	Housing Benefit Run On .
	Tax Credits
	As we have announced, we also plan to introduce the following measures to help eligible lone parents into employment:
	From 30 April 2007: extension of six-monthly Work Focused Interviews for lone parents with a youngest child aged five to 13;
	From 30 April 2007: introduction in New Deal Plus for Lone Parent pilot areas of quarterly Work Focused Interviews for lone parents with a youngest child aged 11 to 13;
	From 1 July 2007: introduction of a higher In-Work Credit rate of 60 across London;
	From 1 July 2007: continuation of the In-Work Credit in pilot areas until June 2008;
	From 1 April 2008 to March 2011: expansion of the New Deal Plus for Lone Parent pilot areas to cover all London districts;
	From 28 April 2008: extension of six-monthly Work Focused Interviews for lone parents with a youngest child aged 0 to four.

Grandparents: Carers

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations his Department has received on the allowances for grandparents caring for their grandchildren; what level of benefits they receive; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receives numerous representations from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public about the benefits and services it provides. It is not possible to provide numbers below high-level subject matter on the number of such representations.
	Grandparents who are responsible for children are able to claim the same benefits and increases as all other persons responsible for children; the exact amounts that they receive will depend upon the individual circumstances of each such case.

Income Support: Disqualification

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sanctions were imposed on lone parents claiming income support who had missed their first work focused interview in each quarter since 1997.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 26 February 2007
	Work focused interviews were introduced nationally for some lone parents from April 2001. They were extended in stages to all lone parents making new or repeat claims to Income support, and from April 2004 to all lone parents with an existing claim to income support.
	Lone parents making a new or repeat claim for income support are expected to attend a work focused interview before an income support payment is made, unless the interview is deferred or waived. Failure to attend this first interview would result in the claim being disallowed rather than a benefit sanction being imposed. Benefit sanctions are imposed on existing customers who fail to attend their first work focused interview.
	Between April 2001 and March 2006, 1.76 million initial lone parent work focused interviews have been booked and, in the same period, 1.62 million initial interviews have been attended, with 39,920 sanctions applied for failure to attend an initial work focused interview.
	The number of work focused interviews (WFIs) booked for lone parents in the year to March 2006 was around one and a half times the number booked two years earlier, and over two and a half times the number booked three years before. This has, inevitably, resulted in an increase in the number of sanctions imposed. However, at less than 5 per cent. of the number of interviews booked, this represents a very low proportion of the total.
	Information on the number of benefit sanctions imposed on lone parents for failure to attend a first work focused interview, broken down by each quarter, is in the following table.
	
		
			  Lone parent benefit sanctions 
			  Period  Benefit sanctions applied 
			 April to June 2001 10 
			 July to September 2001 270 
			 October to December 2001 410 
			 January to March 2002 390 
			   
			 April to June 2002 750 
			 July to September 2002 710 
			 October to December 2002 590 
			 January to March 2003 1,130 
			   
			 April to June 2003 1,110 
			 July to September 2003 1,600 
			 October to December 2003 1,610 
			 January to March 2004 1,710 
			   
			 April to June 2004 2,080 
			 July to September 2004 2,870 
			 October to December 2004 3,280 
			 January to March 2005 3,590 
			   
			 April to June 2005 3,440 
			 July to September 2005 3,850 
			 October to December 2005 4,160 
			 January to March 2006 6,340 
			   
			 Total 39,920 
			  Notes: 1. Data refer to total number of sanctions imposed, not individuals sanctioned. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Latest available data are to March 2006.  Source: DWP Disability and Work Division.

Income Support: Lone Parents

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on income support for  (a) lone parents whose youngest child was (i) under three, (ii) under five, (iii) under 11, (iv) under 14 and (v) under 16 and  (b) all lone parents in (i) cash and (ii) real terms in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of GDP each figure represented; and what estimate he has made of the expenditure for each of the next 10 years.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables. Figures after 2007-08 are illustrative projections consistent with the 2006 'Long-term Public Finance Report'. They are based on current policy continuing and do not represent firm expenditure plans. They also do not take account of measures proposed in the current Welfare Reform Bill.
	
		
			  Income support lone-parent expenditure in Great Britain (cash terms) 
			  £ million 
			   All lone parents on income support  Children aged under 3  Children aged between 3 under 5  Children aged between 5 and under 11  Children aged between 11 and under 14  Children aged 14 and over 
			 1999-2000 3,963 1,257 690 1,372 432 211 
			 2000-01 4,334 1,361 781 1,507 464 221 
			 2001-02 4,520 1,426 813 1,565 489 227 
			 2002-03 4,626 1,435 821 1,623 511 236 
			 2003-04 4,854 1,538 845 1,681 541 250 
			 2004-05 4,452 1,365 773 1,558 513 244 
			 2005-06 3,776 1,055 652 1,371 465 233 
			 2006-07 3,403 892 591 1,262 437 220 
			 2007-08 2,819 739 490 1,046 362 182 
			 2008-09 1,919 503 333 712 247 124 
			 2009-10 1,876 492 326 696 241 121 
			 2010-11 1,848 484 321 686 238 119 
			 2011-12 1,905 499 331 707 245 123 
			 2012-13 1,964 515 341 729 253 127 
			 2013-14 2,008 526 349 745 258 130 
			 2014-15 2,046 536 356 759 263 132 
			 2015-16 2,092 548 363 776 269 135 
			 2016-17 2,141 561 372 794 275 138 
			 2017-18 2,191 574 381 813 282 142 
		
	
	
		
			  Income support lone-parent expenditure in Great Britain (real terms, 2006-07 prices) 
			  £ million 
			   All lone parents on income support  Children aged under 3  Children aged between 3 and under 5  Children aged between 5 and under 11  Children aged between 11 and under 14  Children aged 14 and over 
			 1999-2000 4,695 1,490 817 1,626 512 250 
			 2000-01 5,064 1,590 913 1,761 542 258 
			 2001-02 5,159 1,627 928 1,787 558 259 
			 2002-03 5,122 1,589 909 1,797 566 262 
			 2003-04 5,219 1,653 908 1,807 582 269 
			 2004-05 4,658 1,428 808 1,630 537 255 
			 2005-06 3,877 1,083 670 1,407 477 239 
			 2006-07 3,403 892 591 1,262 437 220 
			 2007-08 2,745 719 477 1,018 353 177 
			 2008-09 1,819 477 316 675 234 118 
			 2009-10 1,732 454 301 643 223 112 
			 2010-11 1,662 435 289 616 214 107 
			 2011-12 1,666 437 289 618 214 108 
			 2012-13 1,672 438 290 620 215 108 
			 2013-14 1,662 436 289 617 214 107 
			 2014-15 1,648 432 286 611 212 106 
			 2015-16 1,639 430 285 608 211 106 
			 2016-17 1,631 428 283 605 210 105 
			 2017-18 1,624 426 282 603 209 105 
		
	
	
		
			  Income support lone-parent expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product 
			  Percentage 
			   All lone parents on income support  Children aged under 3  Children aged between Sand under 5  Children aged between 5 and under 11  Children aged between 11 and under 14  Children aged 14 and over 
			 1999-2000 0.43 0.14 0.07 0.15 0.05 0.02 
			 2000-01 0.45 0.14 0.08 0.16 0.05 0.02 
			 2001-02 0.45 0.14 0.08 0.16 0.05 0.02 
			 2002-03 0.43 0.13 0.08 0.15 0.05 0.02 
			 2003-04 0.43 0.14 0.07 0.15 0.05 0.02 
			 2004-05 0.37 0.11 0.07 0.13 0.04 0.02 
			  Notes: 1. Figures up to 2007-08 are consistent with the historical out-turn and pre-Budget report forecast expenditure figures published on the Department for Work and Pensions website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp. 2. Figures after 2007-08 are illustrative projections consistent with the 2006 Long-term Public Finance Report, and assume current policy continues throughout the projection period, including the migration of the dependant child element of income support for lone parents to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as part of the wider child tax credits roll-out. They do not take account of policies proposed in the current Welfare Reform Bill. 3. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependants not receiving incapacity benefits. Expenditure refers to the total expenditure directed at working-age adults and any child dependants from income support for lone parents. 4. Expenditure has been apportioned among age groups using data on IS recipients from the 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. For all years beyond 2006-07, expenditure is apportioned using age group data for 2006-07. 5. Information prior to 1999-2000 has not been provided because the underlying data series begins in that financial year. 6. All figures relate to expenditure in Great Britain only, but GDP figures used are for the United Kingdom.

Industrial Injuries Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the Exchequer in each year from 2008-09 to 2020-21 of ending industrial injuries benefit for new claims while continuing to pay outstanding claims; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I have asked officials to carry out a review of the IIDB scheme to ensure that it meets the needs of our modern society and is compatible with the Government's broader welfare reform agenda. A consultation document was published on 29 January 2007. The consultation document sets out questions that we would like stakeholders' views on. The questions address the key issues to shape an occupational scheme for injuries and diseases caused through work that will best meet the needs of our society, beyond financial compensation alone, today and for the future.
	The consultation document does not commit DWP to any particular line of action or programmed spend. We are seeking stakeholders' views before we decide on the nature of the reform.
	Outline estimates were made at the beginning of 2006 for stopping new claims to industrial injuries disablement benefit/reduced earnings allowance. These estimates should be used only as a guideline or indication rather than a complete and accurate assessment.
	The estimated savings from not allowing new industrial injuries disablement benefit/reduced earnings allowance claims from April 2008 are in the following tables.
	
		
			  Estimate of the potential savings to the Exchequer of ending industrial injuries benefit for new claims while continuing to pay outstanding claims 
			  Year  Savings in 2005-06 prices  (£ million) 
			 2008-09 10 
			 2009-10 20 
		
	
	
		
			  Averaging period  Annual average saving each year in 2005-06 prices  (£ million) 
			 2010-11 to 2019-20 90

National Insurance: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest performance statistics are for the processing of national insurance number applications at each of the London offices dealing with such applications.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 25 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question what the latest performance statistics are for the processing of National Insurance Number applications at each of the London offices dealing with such applications. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There are currently four National Insurance Number processing sites in London—Tooting, Cityside, Camden, and Hounslow. There is also a satellite office at Harlesden. Cityside, our newest site, opened in November 2006. The centres in London deal with 36% of all applications nationally.
	We aim to process applications for National Insurance Numbers as quickly and securely as possible. In order to manage performance we have set an internal target for our teams to clear 86% of applications within 30 days.
	The current performance figures are shown in the table below.
	
		
			   Proportion cleared within 30 days ( P ercentage) 
			 Camden 83.50 
			 Cityside 75.38 
			 Harlesden 82.07 
			 Hounslow 82.07 
			 Tooting 91.07 
			 London 83.34 
			  Note: The figures quoted are up to the end of February 2007. 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

New Deal

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost per person moving into unsubsidised employment was of each New Deal programme in each year since 1997-98.

Jim Murphy: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  New Deal costs per person into unsubsidised employment 
			  £ 
			   New Deal for Young People  New Deal 25 Plus  New Deal 50 Plus  New Deal for Lone Parents  New Deal for Disabled People  New Deal for Partners 
			 1997-98 7,742 — — — — — 
			 1998-99 1,663 1,259 — 118 — — 
			 1999-00 2,240 2,316 — 285 — — 
			 2000-01 3,029 1,251 1,363 267 — 2,041 
			 2001-02 2,822 4,006 2,415 152 1,990 3,030 
			 2002-03 3,003 4,017 2,638 254 1,561 1,256 
			 2003-04 3,449 4,510 1,780 260 1,485 1,494 
			 2004-05 3,663 4,578 131 292 1,934 633 
			 2005-06 2,852 4,197 53 367 1,557 467 
			  Notes: 1. Employer subsidies are only paid through New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus. Costs for these programmes are calculated excluding employer subsidies and excluding those who have only gained subsidised employment through these New Deals. 2. Cost figures are calculated on latest confirmed spend figures to March 2006 and figures for people into unsubsidised employment through each New Deal to March 2006. 3. The New Deal 50 plus cost figures up to 2002-03 include the DWP-funded ND50 plus employment credit. In 2003-04 this was replaced by the 50 plus element of the working tax credit, which is the responsibility of HMRC, so New Deal 50 plus costs reduced very significantly between 2002-03 and 2003-04. 4. Following agreement with HM Treasury in 2002/03, ringfences for New Deal were removed from New Deal. Administrative costs are excluded as it is no longer possible to identify the costs of administering the costs of each New Deal separately from the costs of other labour market activities. 5. Cost data includes start-up costs. 6. Following changes to the New Deal 25 plus programme in April 2001 when a mandatory intensive activity period was introduced, programme costs rose significantly resulting in an increase in the costs of helping people into work through the programme. 7. The costs of helping someone into work through New Deal for Lone Parents are lower as support provided to participants is primarily Adviser support and administrative costs are excluded from cost calculations. 8. Costs for voluntary programmes are also lower than the mandatory New Deals as a higher proportion of participants on voluntary programmes will be job ready without additional intervention. 9. Programme start dates are: New Deal for Young People: January 1998; New Deal 25 plus: July 1998; New Deal for Lone Parents: October 1998; New Deal for Partners: April 1999; New Deal 50 plus: April 2000; New Deal for Disabled People: July 2001. 10. Although New Deal for Young People started in January 1998, it only operated in pilot locations between January-March 1998, rolling out nationally from April 1998. 11. Average cost figures are rounded to the nearest pound.  Source: DWP Departmental Reports 2004-2006, Jobcentre Plus Accounts 2005-06. DWP Information Directorate.

New Deal for Disabled People: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Copeland have participated in the new deal for disabled people since its launch.

Jim Murphy: Information on the number of participants on new deal for disabled people is not available at constituency level.

Social Fund

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest performance statistics are for each office where Social Fund applications are processed.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 24 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the latest performance statistics are for each office where Social Fund applications are processed. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The time it takes to process Social Fund applications is measured by counting the average length of time taken to clear all claims processed within a set period (usually monthly). The measure is referred to as the Average Actual Clearance Time.
	The clearance time for an individual application is measured in whole working days from the date the application is received to the date the decision is taken (on whether to make an award or a loan offer), plus, if a loan offer is made, the number of whole working days between receiving the applicant's reply to the offer and the recording of that reply. The minimum clearance time recorded for an individual application is one day, even if the application is cleared immediately.
	Applications are made for five elements of the Social Fund: Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans, Budgeting Loans, Sure Start Maternity Grants and Funeral Payments.
	The Average Actual Clearance Time service level expectations for each element are:
	Community Care Grants—9 days,
	Crisis Loans—2 days,
	Budgeting Loans—6 days,
	Sure Start Maternity Grants—5 days,
	Funeral Payments—16 days.
	However, applications for Crisis Loan living expenses must be cleared on the same day as the application is made.
	The attached table shows the performance of each of the 42 operating units that are currently responsible for Social Fund applications. The data covers February 2007.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		
			  Average actual clearance time for February 2007 
			  Social Fund operating unit  Community Care Grants  Crisis Loans  Budgeting Loans  Sure Start Maternity Grants  Funeral Payments 
			 Ayrshire, Dumfries, Galloway and Inverclyde 6.6 1.3 9.0 4.3 3.6 
			 Bolton and Bury 3.2 1.2 1.5 1.6 7.3 
			 Bradford 9.7 1.4 3.2 2.9 12.8 
			 Bridgend, Rhondda, Cynon and Taff 4.4 1.1 1.7 6.0 13.3 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 10.1 1.3 3.4 7.8 17.4 
			 Central London 5.5 1.7 3.3 5.7 16.5 
			 Cheshire 5.0 1.1 2.0 4.3 11.7 
			 City and East London 4.3 1.2 2.9 3.0 9.5 
			 Cumbria 7.3 2.6 2.7 2.4 17.4 
			 Dorset 4.3 1.1 4.5 3.2 14.3 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 11.4 2.6 2.7 3.2 23.2 
			 East Midlands North 6.4 1.2 8.1 9.0 14.9 
			 Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders 5.4 1.8 1.5 4.1 8.5 
			 Essex 13.7 1.7 4.2 2.9 12.8 
			 Greater Liverpool 6.4 1.3 1.9 2.2 11.9 
			 Greater Manchester and Lanes 15.6 2.7 4.5 4.7 14.8 
			 Highland, Islands, Clyde Coast and Grampian 6.1 1.2 6.2 3.2 5.8 
			 Lancashire West 5.6 1.3 2.9 2.8 14.4 
			 Leeds 8.7 1.2 1.6 2.3 12.5 
			 Llanelli Benefit Delivery Centre 6.0 1.5 1.9 2.9 10.7 
			 London South 4.1 1.3 2.3 2.4 12.0 
			 North East London 5.6 1.5 2.4 2.6 8.3 
			 North London 6.6 1.9 3.0 2.9 7.3 
			 Northumbria 3.1 1.1 1.8 2.2 6.4 
			 Norwich Benefit Delivery Centre 18.2 1.7 4.1 6.6 12.0 
			 Somerset 2.5 1.1 2.2 1.8 8.7 
			 SE BOBS (Bucks, Oxfordshire, Berks and Surrey) 8.5 2.5 3.1 3.2 12.1 
			 SE HIKYS (Hants, Kent and Sussex) 8.9 1.9 3.3 3.4 11.8 
			 South East Midlands 12.8 2.2 8.8 6.5 22.6 
			 South East Wales 10.5 1.3 3.0 6.4 15.0 
			 South Tyne and Wear Valley 7.8 1.3 2.9 4.9 11.4 
			 South West Central 7.4 1.4 1.6 1.6 8.0 
			 Springburn Benefit Delivery Centre 7.6 1.2 3.4 2.6 8.4 
			 Tees Valley 6.1 1.2 4.6 1.9 11.4 
			 Wakefield 5.0 1.3 3.3 1.6 7.1 
			 West London 4.4 1.3 2.5 2.3 6.4 
			 West Midlands Social Fund 7.8 1.6 3.4 3.9 10.0 
			 Wigan 3.8 1.2 1.6 1.4 7.9 
			 Wiltshire 8.8 1.3 1.4 2.3 7.8 
			 Wirral 7.0 1.1 2.3 3.1 9.5 
			 Wolverhampton and Walsall 11.1 2.5 2.4 3.8 25.3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Sheffield 5.7 1.4 2.1 3.3 11.6 
			  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Social Security Benefits: Ethnic Groups

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Asian men were on benefits in  (a) the UK and  (b) Luton over the last five years; and what proportion of (i) male and (ii) all benefit claimants this represents over the same period.

James Plaskitt: A breakdown of benefit claimants by ethnicity is only available for jobseeker's allowance. The available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Male Asian jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants in Luton and Great Britain as at August 2002 
			   Number of JSA claimants  Percentage of male JSA claimants  Percentage of all JSA claimants 
			  Luton  b orough  c ouncil
			 All Asian or Asian British 630 24.1 17.8 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 80 3.1 2.3 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 330 12.6 9.3 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 190 7.3 5.4 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 30 1.1 0.8 
			  Great Britain
			 All Asian or Asian British 37,330 5.5 4.1 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 10,720 1.6 1.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 14,920 2.2 1.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: 7,220 1.1 0.8 
			 Luton Borough Council
			 
			  Bangladeshi
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 4,470 0.7 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Male Asian jobseeker's allowance claimants in Luton and Great Britain as at August 2003 
			   Number of JSA claimants  Percentage of male JSA claimants  Percentage of all JSA claimants 
			  Luton  b orough  c ouncil
			 All Asian or Asian British 630 23.5 17.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 70 2.6 2.0 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 320 11.9 8.9 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 220 8.2 6.1 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 20 0.7 0.6 
			 
			  Great Britain
			 All Asian or Asian British 37,240 5.8 4.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 10,660 1.6 1.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 14,310 2.2 1.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 7,410 1.1 0.8 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 4,860 0.8 0.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Male Asian jobseeker's allowance claimants in Luton and Great Britain as at August 2004 
			   Number of JSA claimants  Percentage of male JSA claimants  Percentage of all JSA claimants 
			  Luton borough council
			 All Asian or Asian British 520 22.0 16.0 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 60 2.5 1.8 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 260 11.0 8.0 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 170 7.2 5.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 30 1.3 0.9 
			 
			  Great Britain
			 All Asian or Asian British 32,550 5.6 4.1 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 9,130 1.6 1.1 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 12,420 2.1 1.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 6,760 1.2 0.8 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 4,240 0.7 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Male Asian jobseeker's allowance claimants in Luton and Great Britain as at August 2005 
			   Number of JSA claimants  Percentage of male JSA claimants  Percentage of all JSA claimants 
			  Luton borough council
			 All Asian or Asian British 420 15.8 11.5 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 70 2.6 1.9 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 290 10.9 7.9 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 20 0.8 0.5 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 40 1.5 1.1 
			 
			  Great Britain
			 All Asian or Asian British 34,920 5.6 4.1 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 10,180 1.6 1.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 13,320 2.1 1.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 6,810 1.1 0.8 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 4,610 0.7 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Male Asian jobseeker's allowance claimants in Luton and Great Britain as at August 2006 
			   Number of JSA claimants  Percentage of male JSA claimants  Percentage of all JSA claimants 
			  Luton borough council
			 All Asian or Asian British 680 22.3 16.0 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 80 2.6 1.9 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 330 10.8 7.7 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 220 7.2 5.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 50 1.6 1.2 
			 
			  Great Britain
			 All Asian or Asian British 38,920 5.8 4.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Indian 10,810 1.6 1.2 
			 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 15,040 2.2 1.6 
			 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 7,940 1.2 0.9 
			 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 5,130 0.8 0.6 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest ten. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Percentage caseload figures are based on ethnicity group figures as a percentage of the total JSA caseload for Luton or GB and are rounded to one decimal point. Source: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether lie detector test pilot schemes for benefit claimants will analyse the psychological impact of undertaking a lie detector test on claimants who are not committing fraud.

James Plaskitt: The Department intends to test voice risk analysis software as part of wider efforts to improve customer service and reduce fraud. It is not a lie detector. Applications of voice risk analysis technology have been reported to help identify and reduce risk of fraudulent claims in other sectors. The Department will be considering the impact of this technology on its business and customers to ensure legitimate benefit claims are paid quickly and accurately.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 816W, on social security benefits: lone parents, how many lone parents there were in the United Kingdom in each year since 1992; and what proportion of them had been in receipt of out-of-work benefits in each quarter since 1995.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 28 March 2007
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of lone parents in Great Britain in spring each year and the proportion of lone parents in receipt of out-of-work benefits in Great Britain as at May each year, 1992 to 2006 
			   Population  Percentage 
			 1992 1,199,000 n/a 
			 1993 1,253,000 n/a 
			 1994 1,369,000 n/a 
			 1995 1,480,000 75.5 
			 1996 1,560,000 72.5 
			 1997 1,535,000 72.3 
			 1998 1,639,000 64.7 
			 1999 1,664,000 62.7 
			 2000 1,627,000 62.8 
			 2001 1,670,000 60.2 
			 2002 1,732,000 56.5 
			 2003 1,736,000 56.3 
			 2004 1,789,000 54.3 
			 2005 1,791,000 53.1 
			 2006 1,779,000 53.2 
			 n/a = Not available.  Note: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. "Out-of-work benefits" includes Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, and Severe Disablement Allowance. 3. The Spring Labour Force Survey figures cover the months March to May and have therefore been used as the denominator in these calculations while the May quarter for administrative data has been used as the numerator. Figures produced in this way give a general guide only and should be used cautiously.  Source:  5 per cent DWP administrative data and Labour Force Survey, spring quarters.

Television: Licensing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Government spent to provide free television licences to pensioners in each year since 1997.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Years (outturn)  Cash terms (£ million) 
			 2000-01 306 
			 2001-02 365 
			 2002-03 374 
			 2003-04 412 
			 2004-05 435 
			 2005-06 461 
			 2006-07(1) 483 
			 (1) Estimated outturn  Notes: 1. Free TV licences were introduced in year 2000 to people over 75 years of age. 2. Figures are for UK and they are rounded to the nearest £ million.  Source:  DWP Expenditure tables consistent with Budget 2007

Winter Fuel Payments: Expenditure

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Government has spent to provide winter fuel allowances to pensioners in each year since 1997.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Total cost of winter fuel payments paid out in Great Britain 
			  Years (outturn)  Cash terms (£ million) 
			 1997-98 191 
			 1998-99 194 
			 1999-2000 759 
			 2000-01 1,749 
			 2001-02 1,681 
			 2002-03 1,705 
			 2003-04 1,916 
			 2004-05 1,962 
			 2005-06 1,982 
			 2006-07(1) 2,011 
			 (1) Estimated outturn  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £ million. 2. Winter fuel payment was introduced in 1997. 3. Payments made to people aged 60-64 years and over 80 payment are included from 2000-01 onwards. Following a European Court of Justice Judgement in 1999, winter fuel payments were extended to people aged 60 or over regardless of whether they were receiving a social security benefit. A claims process was set up in the year 2000 to enable payments to be made to those people who could not be identified through the Department's records.  Source:  DWP Expenditure tables consistent with Budget 2007

TREASURY

Departmental Expenditure Limits: Department of Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he increased the Department of Health's planned resource departmental expenditure limit for 2005-06 from £75,090 million, as stated in public expenditure statistical analyses 2005, to £76,365 million, as stated in the Treasury's Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper for 2005-06; and how this increase was divided between near-cash and non-cash.

Stephen Timms: Planned expenditure figures changed for a number of routine and technical reasons and because of the reprofiling of the Department of Health's budget. The main reason for the change in planned resource DEL expenditure in 2005-06, which increased the near-cash element of resource DEL, was a classification adjustment to the Department of Health's resource DEL to cover payments to NHS Trusts to meet their depreciation costs, as set out in Budget 2006. Chapter 2 of the public expenditure analyses 2006 compares the latest plans for DEL and AME with the plans set out in the previous year.

Departmental Staff

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 721W, on departmental staff, whether individual teams in his Department keep records of the number of away days; and if he will estimate the cost of obtaining away days for one team.

John Healey: Individual teams do not maintain records of the number of away days and no such cost estimate has been prepared.

Departments: Public Opinion

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on  (a) opinion polls and  (b) focus groups in each of the last five years.

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many opinion polls of the public his Department has commissioned since July 2006; and what the  (a) purpose,  (b) date and  (c) cost was of each.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 8 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2230W to the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Gauke).

EU Budget

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much expenditure was categorised under the European Union budget line of sundry debtors in the 2006-07 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: 'Sundry debtors', covering receivables arising from the activities of the European Communities, including unpaid fines, cash advances and amounts paid to financial intermediaries, appears as an item under short-term assets in the balance sheet provided for the 'Final Annual Accounts of the European Communities 2004'. This amounted to €4,140 million at 31 December 2004.
	Following a modernisation of the accounts of the European Communities in 2005 and the change to an accruals accounting system, an asset entitled pre-financing is now recognised on the balance sheet and represents the advances paid to beneficiaries. In 2005, the latest year for which European Communities accounts are available, the amount of short-term pre-financing is given as €6,633 million as at 31 December (with a restated figure of €6,728 million as at 31 December 2004).

Energy: Conservation

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 474W, on energy: conservation, what proportion of the funding announced by his Department on 22nd March 2006  (a) has been spent and  (b) relates to improved (i) energy efficiency in the public sector and (ii) increased access to the arts and culture; and what estimate he has made of energy efficiencies gained.

Stephen Timms: Priority areas for round 8 of the invest to save budget commencing in 2006-7 included improved energy efficiency in the public sector and third sector bodies; and efficiency and increased access to the arts and culture sector. ISB funding is awarded for up to three years. On conclusion, all projects submit an evaluation of their project against its stated objectives. Data on the energy efficiencies gained have therefore not yet been collected.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the merits of hypothecating vehicle excise duty revenue for funding policies to address climate change and other forms of environmental damage.

John Healey: The Government's spending priorities are not in general determined by the way in which the money is raised. Revenue from the taxation of vehicles contributes—with other taxes and income—to the overall amount available to Government to spend, including on our transport and environmental protection priorities.
	The Government's principled approach to the use of taxation as an instrument of environmental policy is set out in paragraphs 7.3-7.5 of the Chancellor's 2007 Budget report.

Migrant Workers: Eastern Europe

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact of workers from Eastern Europe on the UK economy.

John Healey: The latest official statistics (October to December 2006) show workers from the new EU member states in Eastern Europe made up 1.2 per cent. of UK employment, and contributed around 0.8 per cent. of the economy.

Stamp Duties

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the reduction in revenue from applying higher rate stamp duty (3 per cent. to 4 per cent.) only to the amount from a property sale above the relevant threshold for that rate in a full tax year.

Edward Balls: If all commercial and residential property sales above £250,000 were taxed where 1 per cent. was applied on the whole of the first £250,000, 3 per cent. on the excess consideration above £250,000 up to £500,000, and 4 per cent. on the excess consideration above £500,000, the reduction in revenue from stamp duty land tax is estimated at about £1.9 billion for the current financial year.

Taxation: Arrests

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in 2005-06 HM Revenue and Customs requested that the police use their power of arrest as a result of a tax inquiry.

John Healey: HMRC does not hold a record of the number of requests made to the police to make arrests in 2005-06. However, on the basis of the information held, the Department estimates that around 150 arrests were made by police on its behalf during this year.

Taxation: Electric Vehicles

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax is paid on the purchase of a new  (a) Toyota Prius and  (b) Honda Accord hybrid car.

John Healey: These cars are subject to annual Vehicle Excise Duty under the carbon dioxide emissions graduated class for cars registered from 1 March 2001 onwards. Honda's Civic Hybrid has a certified CO2 emissions figure of 109 g of CO2 per kilometre and Toyota's Prius Hybrid has a certified CO2 emissions figure of 104 g of CO2 per kilometre.
	These vehicles are therefore subject to band B CO2 emissions graduated vehicle excise duty. In Budget 2007 the Chancellor built on Budget 2006 changes by further reducing this rate to £35 and freezing it until 2010-11. By announcing rates for future years the Government are providing future certainty and further sharpening the environmental signal to motorists to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles.
	Cars purchased for private and business use are subject to VAT in the normal way. Under certain conditions cars that have been adapted for the carriage of a disabled person will be zero-rated. Charities and certain other eligible bodies (listed in HMRC Reference Notice 701/59 of March 2002) may also be able to purchase adapted vehicles free of VAT.

Welfare Tax Credits: Cardiff

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether staff working for the tax credit office in the Cardiff contact centre have guidelines for the number of calls they should deal with from customers each day; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how long staff answering customer calls at the tax credit office in Cardiff are recommended to spend on each call; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Contact Centre at Cardiff does not currently handle tax credit calls.

Loans: Students

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that the best possible price is achieved from the planned sale of tranches of the student loan book.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	We are at the early stages of implementing the Budget announcement to sell income-contingent student loans. Further details about the sale will be announced in due course. We are confident that the Government will obtain good value for money, as they are obliged to do by rules of Government accounting.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on hospitality by her Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Vera Baird: The amount of hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department, which covers costs for Her Majesty's Courts Service, Tribunals Service, Public Guardianship Office and DCA headquarters, for 2006-07 is provisionally £43,804. This amount is subject to audit and the final amount will be included in the Department's annual resource accounts.
	All hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety that is based on principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Rain Forests

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will provide a breakdown by major heading of how the recently announced £50 million to help conserve the Congo basin rainforest will be spent, including details of all funding recipients.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committing £50 million to support proposals that have been made by 10 central African countries, to help them protect the Congo basin's forests and people. This will establish a fund that will slow the rate of deforestation by developing the capacity of people and institutions in the Congo basin countries to manage their forests and help local communities find livelihoods that are consistent with the conservation of forests.
	The details of the new fund are still being developed—including how the work will be implemented. The fund will have a clear governance framework designed to ensure that it has strong African ownership and supports the needs of the Congo basin's countries, protects the livelihoods and rights of forest people and is spent effectively, with good financial management.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: The total for entertainment within administration costs budgets for 2006-07 was £238,000.
	This figure for entertainment includes working breakfasts and lunches, refreshments at meetings and official entertainment.
	All entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Departments: Oral Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to his Department for oral answer have been transferred to other departments since May 2005.

Gareth Thomas: None.

Developing Countries: AIDS

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the progress made by developing countries in delivering universal access to treatment for AIDS sufferers by 2010; and what support his Department has given to this policy.

Gareth Thomas: The World Health Organisation, UNAIDS and UNICEF published a new report last week—"Towards Universal Access: scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector". The report shows that countries in every region of the world are making substantial progress in increasing access to HIV treatment. More than 1.3 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving treatment in December 2006, representing coverage of approximately 28 per cent. of those in need compared to just 2 per cent. in 2003. Coverage in other regions varied, from 6 per cent. in North Africa and the Middle East, to 15 per cent. in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and 72 per cent. in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, while encouraging trends continue, just 28 per cent. of the estimated 7.1 million people in need of treatment in all low and middle income countries were receiving it in December 2006.
	Substantial challenges remain, which is why DFID continues to work with Governments and the international community to help deliver a comprehensive response. DFID is committed to spending at least £1.5 billion on tackling the HIV and AIDS epidemics. In 2005-06 DFID spent £385 million tackling HIV and AIDS, an increase of nearly 30 per cent. on the 2004-05 figure of £298 million. The UK has committed £300 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria from 2002-08 including, £100 million for 2006 and the same for 2007 subject to performance. To date, Global Fund-financed programmes have provided treatment to over 600,000 people with AIDS. DFID is also committed to improving access to medicines and announced support of €20 million for UNITAID, the new drugs purchase facility established in September 2006, as part of a 20 year commitment, increasing to €60 million per year by 2010 subject to performance. Following its first two board meetings in October and November 2006 UNITAID has already approved several significant items of expenditure, including $61.7 million for paediatric anti-retroviral therapy (ART), $70 million for second line ART and $52.5 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Developing Countries: Cleft Palate

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent providing support to organisations that treat children in developing countries with cleft lip and palate in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The level of detail available on our central systems does not allow us to systematically capture the amount of expenditure channelled through organisations which treat cleft lip and palate. DFID provides direct funding to support general health services in many countries, and those health services provide a range of surgical interventions.

Developing Countries: Debts

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what targets his Department has to reduce debt in developing countries over the next two years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's 2005-08 public service agreement (PSA) includes a target shared with Her Majesty's (HM) Treasury, that 90 per cent. of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) that have reached Decision Point by end 2005 should receive irrevocable debt relief by end 2008. By the end of 2005, 28 HIPCs had reached HIPC Decision Point (thereby demonstrating their commitment to poverty reduction and qualifying for interim debt relief). Of these 28 countries, 22 have now completed the HIPC initiative and received irrevocable debt cancellation. The PSA target requires that four more countries complete HIPC before the end of 2008. Current indications are that this target will be met.
	The public service agreement framework will change for the period 2008 to 2011. New departmental strategic objectives are under discussion.
	In addition to our existing PSA target, DFID and HM Treasury work closely to deliver the UK Government's commitments on debt relief. We remain committed to the full implementation and financing of the HIPCs and multilateral debt relief initiatives (MDRI). We exceed our commitments under HIPC, cancelling 100 per cent. of bilateral debts for qualifying countries. We are also the second largest bilateral donor to the HIPC Trust Fund which helps multilateral organisations deliver HIPC debt relief in a timely manner. We continue to pay our share of the costs of the MDRI at the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank. We also support debt reduction facility operations managed by the World Bank which allow poor countries to buy back their commercial debts at a considerable discount (generally over 90 per cent.).
	The UK remains committed to 100 per cent. bilateral and multilateral debt relief for poor countries that will use the savings for poverty reduction. We have cancelled bilateral aid debts from low income countries (except Zimbabwe and Burma, neither of which are making payments) and qualifying lower middle income countries. We also pay our share (10 per cent.) of debt service to the World Bank and African Development Fund for eight low income countries that are not eligible for assistance under HIPC. We hope that other countries will soon also reach the standards of public financial management and commitment to poverty reduction necessary to receive this support.
	Avoiding the re-accumulation of unsustainable debts is crucial. The UK supports debt management capacity building for countries. We are also working with the international community (including the international financial institutions, export credit agencies and emerging lenders) to ensure responsible new lending to poor countries. We support the World Bank and IMF's debt sustainability framework (DSF), and promote its use wherever possible. The DSF identifies countries that might struggle to repay loans, and these are offered grants, or a mixture of grants and loans, by the World Bank and African Development Bank.

Developing Countries: Forestry

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the extent of economic, social and environmental benefits of the traditional concession-based industrial logging model in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has recently completed a study on 20 years of UK support to Ghana's forest sector. This study documents the lessons gained from experience in a single sector and how they can be applied more generally. It also assesses the social and economic aspects of Ghana's industrial forest development, and identifies rights-based approaches to making forestry work for poor people.
	In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DFID is funding the Roundtable Review, a study looking at alternative forest uses and innovative finance mechanisms for conservation and sustainable forest management (DRC). This study will look at the current benefits of logging in the DRC and seek alternative models that are more responsive to the needs of local people and the global environment.
	DFID is funding the Rights and Resources Initiative along with other donors, research institutes and conservation organisations. This initiative focuses on pro-poor forest policy and tenure reform, including ways of increasing local ownership and access to forest resources. The Rights and Resources Initiative has produced a number of studies that assess the social and economic benefits of concession-based forest industry. More information about this initiative can be found at:
	www.rightsandresources.org.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made by the G8 in delivering universal access to HIV prevention treatment and care by 2010.

Gareth Thomas: The UK made AIDS a centrepiece of the 2005 G8 and EU presidencies. We pressed for and secured international commitments to universal access to HIV treatment. We subsequently worked hard to ensure that this commitment was endorsed and expanded by the international community in the Political Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS (2 June 2006). This Declaration committed to achieve comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010. It also agreed that countries would develop ambitious targets, including interim targets for 2008, to measure progress towards universal access. Crucially, it also set out a process by which countries will develop national AIDS plans to scale up towards universal access by 2010; and made the commitment that no credible, costed, national AIDS plan should go unfunded.
	By early 2007, 90 countries had developed targets for achieving universal access, and at least 23 countries had proceeded with costing their strategic plans. The UK is pressing UNAIDS to define what constitutes a credible national AIDS plan. We are also pressing for a multi-stakeholder process in country to review universal access plans as they are developed, to agree their credibility and ensure they are fully funded.
	We will push hard to ensure an ongoing focus by the G8 on achieving its commitment to universal access. We see our work with UNAIDS as central to unlocking the G8 and international community's commitment to funding credible, costed national AIDS plans. We will ensure that this work is discussed as we prepare for the G8 Heiligendamm summit in June.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress was made at the G8 meeting of Development Ministers on 26 and 27 March in Berlin on establishing a funding plan for the delivery of universal access to HIV prevention treatment and care; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: At the Berlin meeting G8 Development Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to get as close as possible to universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010. They acknowledged that the price of some drugs remains prohibitive for many countries, and more needs to be done to help lower their cost including the use of TRIPS flexibilities to the fullest extent.
	By early 2007, 90 countries had developed targets for achieving universal access, and at least 23 countries had proceeded with costing their strategic plans. The UK is pressing UNAIDS to define what constitutes a credible national AIDS plan. We are also pressing for a multi-stakeholder process in country to review universal access plans as they are developed, to agree their credibility and ensure they are fully funded.
	We will push hard to ensure an ongoing focus by the G8 on achieving its commitment to universal access. We see our work with UNAIDS as central to unlocking the G8 and international community's commitment to funding credible, costed national AIDS plans. We will ensure that this work is discussed as we prepare for the G8 Heiligendamm summit in June.

Environmental Transformation Fund

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will publish a detailed breakdown of the expenditure of the Environmental Transformation Fund;
	(2)  what measures his Department has in place to assess the effectiveness of the Environmental Transformation Fund;
	(3)  what measures his Department has in place to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Environmental Transformation Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Expenditure from the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) will cover the three years of the comprehensive spending review period from April 2008. Apart from £50 million earmarked for the Congo basin, which was announced in the Budget, detailed breakdown of allocations have not yet been decided. It is expected that the allocation will be used to fund multilateral activities, such as the World Bank and Regional Development Banks' clean energy investment framework and other initiatives, as well as bilateral projects with countries. It will also be used for purposes such as adaptation, promotion of clean energy and tackling unsustainable deforestation.
	Officials from DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are in discussions over appropriate governance arrangements for the ETF. These arrangements will include measures to assess effectiveness and ensure transparency and accountability.

Latin America: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool in Latin America.

Gareth Thomas: The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) Latin America Strategy was established in late 2004 and a detailed evaluation will be undertaken later this year or early next year. A GCPP steering team consisting of officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Ministry of Defence (MOD) and DFID hold regular meetings to monitor progress of the Strategy and decide changes with input from a Regional Conflict Adviser (RCA) who is based in Venezuela. Country analyses are regularly provided to the GCPP steering team by the RCA.
	At project level, activities are monitored and evaluated by the RCA on a regular basis. Projects are designed to address individual needs in specific circumstances and therefore vary widely in scope and scale. Monitoring and evaluation is built in, and is undertaken against the objectives and projected outcomes. The positive impact of GCPP supported projects is being seen through these evaluations.
	The Latin America conflict prevention strategy has at its heart the objective of resolving existing conflicts and preventing new conflicts from breaking out. In delivering this objective, evaluation shows that this has been successful. For example, working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) a successful border management model has been developed around Colombia's borders to assure refugees' rights and to resolve and manage conflicts. In Colombia, GCPP support has contributed to the visible presence of community defenders in remote and vulnerable communities who have helped to reduce the risk of internal displacement of people by providing increased access to legal services.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evaluations his Department has made of the effectiveness of technical assistance.

Gareth Thomas: In 2006 we published an independent evaluation of DFID-funded technical co-operation (technical assistance) for economic management in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study evaluated the technical assistance provided to the Governments of Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia over the period 1999-2004. We are currently considering further evaluation work on technical co-operation jointly with other donors.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to include significant participation from Southern country recipients in its forthcoming review of its technical assistance programmes.

Gareth Thomas: Technical cooperation or technical assistance is the provision of know-how to developing countries in the form of personnel, training, research and associated costs. DFID spends approximately 10 per cent. of bilateral official development assistance on technical cooperation. In 2008, DFID will review its provision of technical cooperation personnel, i.e. contracted specialists who share know-how and expertise with developing countries. The review will assess DFID's progress in implementing guidance for country offices written in June 2006.
	DFID's long-term vision for technical assistance is that our partners in developing countries should lead in identifying needs for technical assistance, designing terms of reference, and contracting and managing consultants. DFID considers it important that Southern partners and recipients of technical assistance play a significant role in the review.
	We are still at the early stages of planning the review so no decisions have yet been made. We are considering the following ideas to ensure Southern partners participate fully in the review:
	the reviewers make some country visits to interview partner governments and recipients of technical assistance
	a small reference group of representatives of partner governments and recipients of technical assistance advise on the review
	one of the criteria for selecting consultants to carry out the review is that Southern-based consultants play a significant role.
	DFID has agreed that the terms of reference for the review will be developed jointly with the UK Aid Network, a network of UK development NGOs including ActionAid, Christian Aid, Oxfam and WaterAid. We hope they will also contribute ideas on this.
	While Southern partners' contributions are critical for the DFID review, internationally agreed aid effectiveness principles indicate donors should not make excessive demands on Southern partners' time. This is particularly so for individual donor initiatives. We need to use our partners' time wisely when inviting them to work on the DFID review.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the bilateral aid budget was spent on technical assistance in each year since 2001.

Gareth Thomas: The proportion of the bilateral official development assistance (ODA) spent on technical co-operation is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Technical  co-operation as a p ercentage of Bilateral ODA 
			 2001 29.5 
			 2002 25.0 
			 2003 25.7 
			 2004 14.1 
			 2005 10.3 
			 2006 (provisional) 10.8 
		
	
	 Technical  c o-operation
	Technical co-operation is the provision of know-how in the form of personnel, training, research and associated costs. It covers primarily:
	Consultancies: the provision of assistance to recipient countries in the form of contracted specialists.
	Knowledge and Research: grants for agreed programmes of research and development at UK and non-UK institutions which will be of benefit to assisted countries.
	Training and Scholarships: the provision of assistance in the form of training for persons from aid recipient countries. The training may be provided in the UK, in the home country of the student, or in a third country. Training provided under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, the Shared Scholarship scheme and Training through Country programmes is managed directly by, or on behalf of, DFID. Increasingly training is also being provided by means of short in-country courses as part of, or in association with, country projects. This is not fully captured at present in the statistics on training. The costs of these activities are included within projects and programmes.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of technical assistance contracts were awarded to  (a) UK firms,  (b) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development firms and  (c) developing country firms in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Information on the percentage of Technical Assistance contacts which have been awarded in the above categories is not held centrally and to obtain these would incur disproportionate costs.

Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidelines exist on the process of bidding for technical assistance contracts; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the technical assistance procurement market is an open market.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to transparent, fair and open competition. All contracts above £93,738 are tendered through international competition in accordance with the EU Public Procurement directives and the code of good practice issued by the Office of Government Commerce. Full information on the bidding process is available on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk/procurement
	DFID's global business attracts interest from a wide range of experts, companies and institutions. In 2005-06 our headquarters engaged 338 different suppliers to provide goods and services to DFID and our development partners.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international development assistance has been given by the Government to  (a) Helmand Province and  (b) the Government of Afghanistan's National Drugs Control strategy.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development has allocated up to £30 million over three years to the Government of Afghanistan to support its Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development programme (HARDP). This programme is designed to extend the Government's National Priority programmes to Helmand, and will fund projects in the road-building, community development, micro-credit, water/sanitation and agriculture sectors. Since the programme started in January, over 1000 wells have been surveyed and designed. Of these, 120 wells have been completed, benefiting around 21,000 people and work is continuing on a further 30. A second batch of 150 wells will begin construction shortly. Construction has also started on four roads, totalling 51 km. These roads should be completed by May, security permitting. In 2006-07, the UK Government also committed £6.2 million to fund 128 quick impact projects. These have included improvements in flood defences; humanitarian assistance to drought victims and those who have had to flee their homes; refurbishment of 30 tractors and ploughs; permanent vehicle checkpoints to improve security; and improvements to two local markets.
	The UK has committed £270 million to support counter narcotics activity in Afghanistan, including support for the National Drugs Control strategy. This includes £30 million for the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund, which was set up specifically to support the National Drugs Control strategy. The fund will bring counter narcotics funding on budget; give the Afghans greater ownership over this important agenda; and ensure that assistance is targeted as effectively as possible. In 2006-07, the Department for International Development also spent £33.7 million on programmes to strengthen and diversify legal rural livelihoods.

Colombia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Colombian Government on the fulfilment of the Colombian Supreme Court decision of May 2002 on the reconstruction of the village of Tabaco.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 24 April 2007
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials met with members of the Tabaco community in London on 30 January. Their concerns included claims of being forcibly displaced, lack of compensation and damage to the environment regarding the Cerrejon Mine. Since then we have made inquiries with Cerrejon both in London and Colombia.
	Our embassy in Bogota has raised the communities' concerns with the office of the Vice President of the Government of Colombia. We will continue to raise with the Government of Colombia the importance we attach to adherence to socially responsible business practices by extractive companies around the world.

Colombia: Mining

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason British embassy officials in Bogota will not meet representatives of communities forcibly displaced by coal mining expansion in the province of la Guajira.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 24 April 2007
	Our embassy in Bogota, when responding to the meeting request my hon. Friend refers to, explained to the community representatives that it would be more helpful to await the Colombian Government's response before meeting with them. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials subsequently met representatives of communities from the la Guajira province on 30 January in London. They raised the issue of forced displacement. Since then we have made enquiries with Cerrejon in London and Colombia. Our embassy in Bogota has raised the issue with the Government of Colombia Vice President's Office.

Entry Clearances: Fraud

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will estimate the number of fraudulent applications for visas in each of the last four years; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: At present statistics are not available on refusals of visa applications made on the grounds of fraud. Individual visa issuing posts may keep such records but it would incur disproportionate cost to contact each post requesting these details.

Gibraltar: Children

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outstanding issues are between the British and Spanish Governments over the operation in Gibraltar of the 1996 Hague Convention on the international protection of children; and when she expects them to be resolved to the extent necessary to enable the Convention to be ratified by the EU.

Geoff Hoon: The outstanding issue blocking the ratification of the Hague Convention, and other mixed competence conventions, by the EU concerns the arrangements for communicating with competent authorities in Gibraltar which Spain has questioned.
	Negotiations remain at an advanced stage and we continue to work closely with Spain to find a solution acceptable to all parties.
	Given the nature of these negotiations, it is difficult to estimate a precise time-scale for their conclusion. I have agreed to notify Parliament when we are in a position to announce progress that will enable the ratification of the Convention.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the statement of 24 March 2007 by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US, with support of the High Representative of the European Union, whether additional talks between the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme have taken place.

Margaret Beckett: Dr. Javier Solana has spoken to Dr. Ali Larijani on a number of occasions to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme and we understand that they are due to meet in the week commencing 23 April. We hope that this channel of communication will remain open.

Iraq: Casualties

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British civilians have died in Iraq in violent circumstances since the beginning of March 2003.

Kim Howells: Our consular records show that at least 59 British civilians have died in Iraq since March 2003. This number includes deaths from natural causes, but is not a definitive figure as records include only those cases where consular assistance has been sought. The figure does not include British dual nationals or unrepresented foreign nationals.

Iraq: Conferences

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the next round of the Iraq neighbours conference is expected to take place; and whom she expects to be representing the United Kingdom.

Margaret Beckett: With the assistance of the Government of Egypt, the Government of Iraq has decided to hold an Iraq Neighbours Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on 4 May. The Government of Iraq and the UN have also agreed to officially launch the International Compact on 3 May at the same venue.
	I welcome these Iraqi initiatives and the opportunities for the international community to show its support to Iraq. I intend to represent the United Kingdom at both events.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the  (a) Defence Secretary and  (b) Home Secretary on a future resettlement program for those Iraqi citizens who (i) have been and (ii) are still working for the British Army deployed in Southern Iraq.

Margaret Beckett: Applications for assistance from Iraqis who work, or have worked for the Government in Iraq are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking account of their particular circumstances. Officials from the relevant Government Departments are engaged in ongoing discussions about how best we might be able to lend assistance to such individuals.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding and resources she provided to the Property Claims Commission in Iraq in each year since 2001; and what funding she has allocated in each of the next three years.

Ian McCartney: The UK has not provided or allocated funding to the Property Claims Commission in Iraq.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Property Claims Commission in Iraq.

Ian McCartney: The Commission for Resolution of Real Property Disputes, formerly Iraq Property Claims Commission, carries out an important role in addressing the consequences of Saddam's enforced migration policies. Working under difficult circumstances, their annual report states that the total number of claims received by 31 December 2006 was 122,655 of which 24.54 per cent. of claims have been decided.

Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Darfur Peace Agreement; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Darfur Peace Agreement marked an important milestone in the development of the political process for Darfur. It provided for a comprehensive and fully monitored ceasefire, reinforced by detailed measures on Security Sector Reform and Disengagement, Demobilisation and Reintegration, and on humanitarian protection. It provided for fair political representation for Darfur as part of Sudan. It also provided mechanisms for compensation and for fair and transparent redistribution of Sudanese national wealth to Darfur as part of the overall redistribution set out under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. However, there was insufficient support among the parties to the conflict in Darfur to support the agreement. This is the main reason there has not been further progress in implementing it. We are pressing for a renewed political process under the auspices of the UN and African Union. I made clear our concerns over Darfur to the Sudanese Minister for Justice at a meeting held during the Human Rights Council on 13 March.

Thailand: Elections

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she  (a) has made and  (b) intends to make to her opposite number in Thailand on the conduct of elections scheduled for December in Thailand; and what international observers she expects to be present for the election campaign.

Ian McCartney: We have consistently expressed to the Thai Government our wish to see democratic government re-established as swiftly as possible. I reiterated this when I met the Thai Foreign Minister at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nuremberg on 14-15 March. We will closely monitor the election process due to take place in December, though it is as yet unclear whether international monitors will be invited to observe the election.

Thailand: Politics and Government

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects a referendum on a new constitution to be held in Thailand.

Ian McCartney: As discussed during my meeting with the Thai Foreign Minister during the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nuremberg on 14-15 March, we understand that a referendum is due to be held in autumn 2007.

United Nations Security Council

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK priorities and objectives are for its presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

Margaret Beckett: The principal priorities for the UK Presidency of the Security Council during April are:
	to hold a thematic debate in the Security Council on Energy, Security and Climate to raise international consciousness of the implications of climate change for international security. I chaired the debate on 17 April and an unprecedented number of states took part;
	to achieve agreement on increasing the pressure on Sudan to accept a UN/African Union hybrid force in Darfur. I chaired an informal Security Council discussion on Sudan on 16 April; and
	for the Security Council to consider positively Mr. Ahtisaari's proposals for Kosovo. A sustainable settlement for Kosovo is urgent.
	My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, will chair a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East today.

Vietnam: Religious Freedom

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of freedom of religion in Vietnam; what representations the United Kingdom is making to encourage religious pluralism in Vietnam; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We are concerned about the issue of religious freedom in Vietnam, but note that the situation has improved in recent years. In November 2004, the Vietnamese passed legislation which set out the terms under which religious groups may gain official recognition. However, implementation of the new rules has been variable between regions. Additionally, the Vietnamese Prime Minister discussed restrictions on religious freedom when he met His Holiness the Pope at the Vatican on 25 January.
	With our EU partners, we regularly discuss human rights issues with the Vietnamese Government. The biannual EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, which was established in 2003, is the main forum for raising our concerns. The most recent dialogue was held on 20 December 2006. Freedom of religion, restrictions on religious organisations and the situation of ethnic minority Protestant groups were among the issues raised by the EU.
	We are aware of reports of the continued harassment of some religious groups in some areas. We have urged the Vietnamese authorities to increase awareness and capacity among local authorities and to guarantee the right of all religious groups to practise their faith freely in the community through full implementation of the appropriate legislation and to adhere to its international human rights obligations.
	We raised this issue at the recent bilateral with Vietnamese Vice-Minister Le Cung Phung during the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nuremberg on 14-15 March.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Government Services

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment she has made of the use of Government services by each socio-economic group.

Hilary Armstrong: Each Government Department is responsible for regularly assessing the use of its own services by socio-economic group. However, on occasions where related to its cross-cutting role, the Cabinet Office carries out such assessments in particular policy areas. For example, recent work by the Strategy Unit with DFES looking at raising participation rates in higher education concluded that all social classes, including those from less well-off backgrounds, were more likely to participate when students obtained a level 3 qualification.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Children in Custody

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in custody were looked after by the state  (a) under a court order and  (b) under a voluntary care order (i) prior to and (ii) after conviction in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: We do not collect centrally information on the number of children in custody who were looked after by the state nor information on convictions. However we collect information on the number of children looked after by local authorities placed in young offender institutions or prison.
	The following table provides the number of children looked after by local authorities placed in youth offender institution or prison  (a) under care order legal statuses and youth justice legal statutes and  (b) under a voluntary care order.
	
		
			  Table 1: Children looked after by local authorities placed in youth offender institution or prison at 31 March (a) under care order legal statuses and under youth justice legal statutes and (b) under a voluntary care order, 2002 to 2006 ( 1,2,3,4)  England 
			  Number 
			   All children looked after by local authorities placed in youth offender institution or prison 
			  Years ( 1,3)  A ll  children looked after by local authorities placed in Youth Offender Institution or Prison ( 4)  Number who have care order legal statuses and under Youth justice legal statutes( 5)  Number who have voluntary care order legal status ( 6)  Number who have other type of legal statuses ( 4,7) 
			 2002 120 100 10 0 
			 2003 110 110 — — 
			 2004 140 110 30 0 
			 2005 110 100 20 0 
			 2006 130 110 — — 
			 (1) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 return which in 2001-02 and 2002-03 covered one-third sample and which since 2003-04 covers all looked after children.  (2) To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. Figures between one and five inclusive have been suppressed and replaced by a hyphen"—". It has on occasion been necessary to suppress other data whenever it would be possible to calculate missing data by means of simple arithmetic. In these circumstances the second smallest number relating to the same variable is suppressed.  (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. In previous years, data in this table would have been extracted from CLA100. To be consistent with the method used throughout the statistical volume published on 29 March 2007, data are now taken from the SSDA903 throughout and the breakdowns may therefore differ from figures in previous publications.  (4) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.  (5) This category includes the following legal statuses: interim care orders; full care orders; on remand, or committed for trial or sentence, and accommodated by LA; detained in LA accommodation under PACE; and sentenced to CYPA 1969 supervision order with residence requirement.  (6) This category includes the legal status of single period of accommodation under section 20.  (7) This category includes the following legal statuses: freeing order granted; placement order granted; accommodated under an agreed series of shorter-term breaks, when individual episodes of care are recorded and when agreements are recorded (i.e., not individual episodes of care); under police protection and in local authority accommodation; emergency protection order and; under child assessment order and in local authority accommodation.

Departments: EC Action

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which bilateral agreements have been signed between the European Union and non-EU countries establishing co-operative projects in the areas of competence covered by his Department.

Bill Rammell: The following bilateral agreements have been signed between the European Union and non-EU countries establishing co-operative projects in the field of education and skills:
	Agreements with the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to limit the amount of money spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes by his Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following guidance is issued by the Department to staff on the provision of alcohol.
	There is a general principle that alcohol should not be provided at public expense and never when only civil servants are present.
	Moderate amounts of alcohol can be provided at public expense when entertaining non-civil servants if not providing alcohol might be regarded as unusual or cause embarrassment. Examples of such events are hospitality from Ministers, at publicity events such as launches or the rare occasions when senior staff judge that official business can best be transacted by hosting a meeting over lunch or dinner.

Departments: Oral Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to his Department for oral answer have been transferred to other Departments since May 2005.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since May 2005 the Department has transferred two oral questions to other Departments.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information about the political activity of appointees is recorded and publicised in accordance with the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments' code of practice. This shows that no former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to public bodies sponsored by the Department.

Education: EC Action

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  which  (a) conferences,  (b) seminars and  (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-Australia funding for joint activities in higher education, training and youth;
	(2)  which  (a) conferences,  (b) seminars and  (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-New Zealand funding for joint activities in higher education, training and youth.

Bill Rammell: This Department does not hold information on activities carried out under the EU's bilateral co-operation programmes which are funded and administered centrally by the European Commission.

Education: EC Grants and Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which UK educational establishments for which he is responsible are in receipt of EU funds.

Bill Rammell: There are well over 1,500 schools, Further Education colleges and Higher Education institutions in receipt of EU funds through programmes such as Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci. Information on individual establishments in receipt of these funds is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Education: EC Grants and Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what EU grants were made to UK educational establishments for which he is responsible in each of the last two years for which figures are available; and what the purpose was of each award.

Bill Rammell: Some UK educational establishments receive grants directly from the EU. This information is not maintained centrally by my Department. The following table shows the EU grants made to UK educational establishments for 2005 and 2006 from the former Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci programmes. The awards were made to fund eligible activities, as shown, within these programmes.
	
		
			  € 000 
			  Purpose  2005  2006 
			 Comenius (school) projects 8,920 10,238 
			 Erasmus (higher education) placements 20,488 24,674 
			 Grundtvig (adult learning) projects n/a 373 
			 Leonardo (vocational training) pilot projects 3,852 4,137 
			 Leonardo (vocational training) mobility placements 2,936 7,166 
			 Total 36,196 46,588

Education: EC Grants and Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which UK agencies are funded under Article 8(2) of the EU Youth in Action Programme.

Bill Rammell: No UK agencies receive funding under Article 8(2) of the EU Youth in Action Programme. However, the national agency responsible for the management of the programme in the UK has set up a number of regional committees to help in the promotion of the programme at a local level.

Educational Psychology

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the funding of training of educational psychologists.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 879W, on educational psychologists, what the outcomes were of the meeting with representatives of educational psychologists and the local authority employers' side on the funding arrangements for those wishing to train to become an educational psychologist;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of future  (a) demand for and  (b) supply of educational psychologists in local education authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on its distribution to local authorities of funding for educational psychology training places for 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: Educational psychologists are employed by local authorities. Decisions on their recruitment, retention and deployment are matters for those authorities as employers to determine in light of local circumstances and available resources. The Department makes no manpower planning assessment for this group of local authority employees.
	Funding for the training of EPs has previously come from within the Local Government Employers' (LGE) organisation's top slice of the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), as distributed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). For the 2007-08 RSG settlement, the LGE top slice was reduced by £2.088 million and distributed by the DCLG to local authorities through formula grant, as proposed by the Local Government Association (LGA).
	As we made clear in our response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee report on special educational needs (October 2006, Cm 6940), we do not believe that it would be appropriate for us to intervene in the funding arrangements for those wishing to become EPs. Local authorities, and their representative body the LGA, should determine these issues.
	Lord Adonis, the Under-Secretary of State for Schools, met with representatives of the educational psychology profession and the local authority employers' side on 23 January 2007 for an update on the funding arrangements. As a result of those discussions, it was agreed that the Children's Workforce Development Council would help facilitate further discussions between the employers' side, in the form of the LGA, representatives of the EP professional interests, and training providers. We expect a report on those discussions shortly.

English Language

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on English for Speakers of Other Languages in each London borough in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: This information is collected by the national Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, has written to the hon. Lady with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

EU-Canada Joint Committee on Higher Education Training and Youth

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which  (a) conferences,  (b) seminars and  (c) other events have been funded under bilateral EU-Canada funding for joint activities in Higher Education, Training and Youth.

Bill Rammell: This Department does not hold information on activities carried out under the EU's bilateral co-operation programmes which are funded and administered centrally by the European Commission.

Further Education: Finance

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the annual gross income for each further education college in England was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: We have increased public investment in further education by 48 per cent. in real terms between 1997 and 2005. Adult education funding will increase by 7 per cent. between 2005-06 and 2007-08, with funding for young people increasing by 13 per cent. over the same period. This means that overall in 2007-08, through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) we will invest £11.2 billion, an increase of £716 million compared with 2006-07.
	On the basis of information provided by the LSC, and taken from the colleges' own audited financial accounts, the gross income in 2005/06 for each further education college in England is shown in the table at Annex 1 which has been placed in the House Library.

Higher Education

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in higher education completed degree studies in  (a) soft furnishing and  (b) cabinet making in each year between 1996 and 2006.

Bill Rammell: Information on the number of students completing degree studies in soft furnishing and cabinet making is not held centrally.
	The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes figures on newly qualified graduates by subject. Figures are available for crafts including both soft furnishing and cabinet making and a number of other crafts but no specific figures for either soft furnishing or cabinet making are available.

Law: Students

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding support is available for students taking a legal practice degree course.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 123W.

Nurseries: Non-domestic Rates

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the implications for nurseries of levying business rates on private nurseries but not maintained nurseries or those in state schools.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	All occupiers of non-domestic property, known as hereditaments, pay business rates as a way of contributing to a range of local services. Business rates are payable regardless of ownership and are based on the rateable value of the hereditament in question. The level of business rates payable by a ratepayer depends on the circumstances of the particular case. Depending on the facts, a building may for rating purposes constitute more than one hereditament. In such cases, the occupiers of those separate units would be liable for rates.
	Rateable values are generally based on the assumed rent the property would attract if let on the open market on a specific date. These values are assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an independent agency of HM Revenue and Customs, in line with well-established rating principles and methodology. If ratepayers disagree with the rateable value of their property, they may challenge it by making an appeal to the VOA.
	We are aware that the impact of business rates is greater on small businesses compared with larger concerns. The small business rate relief scheme that we introduced with effect from 1 April 2005 therefore provides up to 50 per cent. rate relief for eligible properties irrespective of the use to which the property is put.

Nurseries: Non-domestic Rates

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to equalise the levels of business rates for all nursery provision.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given today to parliamentary questions 133765, 133766 and 133851.

Personal Social and Health Education: UK Membership of EC

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on the inclusion of material promoting European citizenship in the European Communities Youth in Action programme; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Promotion of European citizenship is a general objective of the Youth in Action Programme and is fulfilled by participants engaging in the programme's activities. In England, Citizenship Education has been a statutory subject in the secondary school curriculum since 2002. As part of Citizenship Education, pupils are expected to understand the United Kingdom's relations in Europe, including with the European Union.

Pre-school Education: Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on  (a) School Action  (b) School Action Plus,  (c) Early Years Action and  (d) Early Years Action Plus in each year since the schemes were introduced, broken down by local education authority.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally.

Pupils: Sight Impaired

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he last surveyed the availability of textbooks to blind or partially sighted children; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not hold information on the availability of textbooks to particular groups of children. Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires schools and local authorities to plan to improve access to the curriculum and written materials for all disabled pupils, including those blind or partially sighted children over time.
	With regard to the availability of text books and materials in electronic format for schools, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 721W, to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown).

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children in West Lancashire with a special educational need were referred to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal in each of the last two years.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The table gives the number of appeals against Lancashire local authority in the last two school years, and the number of children with special educational needs in the local authority's primary and secondary schools in the January of the relevant period.
	Appeals concern children residing in the local authority, rather than pupils at the local authority's schools. It would therefore be misleading to express one figure as a proportion of the other.
	Appeals are made against local education authority decisions and we do not collate appeals data at a more local level.
	
		
			   Special educational needs appeals  Children with special educational needs 
			 2005/06 63 26,866 
			 2004/05 66 27,050

Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who is responsible for monitoring the performance and practices of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal; and if he will place in the Library copies of monitoring reports.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	SENDIST has been part of the Tribunals Service, an Executive Agency of the DCA, since 1 April 2006. The chief executive of the Tribunals Service is, therefore, now responsible for the administration of the tribunal including its performance. SENDIST's president is an independently appointed judicial office holder and is responsible for the judicial aspects of the tribunal's work, including judicial decision making and training of the judiciary. Copies of SENDIST's most recent annual report for 2005-06 have been placed in the Library.
	The Tribunals Service will be publishing its first annual report (covering 2006/07) shortly.

Students: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the book value of the tranche of the student loan book to be sold he hopes to achieve in the planned sale that he announced in the Budget Statement 2007.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 April 2007
	 We are at the early stages of implementing the Budget announcement to sell income-contingent student loans. Further details about the sale will be announced in due course. We are confident that the Government will obtain good value for money, as they are obliged to do by rules of Government accounting.

Students: Loans

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have defaulted on the payments of their student loans; and what the cost of these defaults was in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The number of borrowers in arrears with their student loan repayments at the end of each of the last five financial years is shown in the table. These borrowers represented some 7 per cent. of the total number of borrowers at April 2006.
	The figures relate mainly to 'mortgage style' student loans which are no longer offered to new students. Since 1998, the Government have provided loans on an income contingent basis with repayments made through the tax system, so the issue of repayment arrears and default does not normally arise.
	
		
			  Number of UK student loan borrowers in arrears( 1) 
			  Thousand 
			   At the end of financial yea r: 
			  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 (provisional) 
			 Deferring with arrears(2) 29 27 22 15 12 
			 In arrears owing less than two months repayments(3) 29 39 51 58 64 
			 In arrears owing two months repayments or more 80 72 62 59 48 
			 (1) All figures apply to publicly-owned student loans, and exclude those sold to the private sector. Being in arrears does not necessarily mean that the borrower is not currently repaying at some level.  (2) These borrowers are currently deferring repayments as their income is below the repayment threshold, but have some arrears from period when payments were due accounts.  (3) This includes borrowers awaiting approval to defer their repayments, with no repayment schedule in place or owing small amounts.   Source:  Student Loans Company 
		
	
	The Student Loans Company does not write off any amounts and continues to seek repayments of any arrears incurred.

Training: Expenditure

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1685W, how the percentage of the train to gain budget not accounted for by training and skills brokerage is spent.

Phil Hope: Train to gain is a new service aimed at supporting business improve their productivity through increased investment in the skills of their workforce. By the end of February 2007, more than 30,000 employers have engaged their workforce in training with more than 107,000 learners engaged on training activity. Almost 70 per cent. of these were employers that fell within the definition of hard to reach.
	For 2006-07, the total budget for train to gain was £281 million of which a total of £269.5 million was allocated to training and brokerage. The remaining budget is allocated to marketing and communications, evaluation and administration. In 2007-08, the planned budget is £414.4 million, of which £397.4 million is planned for training and brokerage. The remainder will be allocated to marketing and communications, evaluation and administration.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Centrica: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will set a target timetable for dealing with all stages of the Calor Gas and Centrica appeal in respect of their proposal to install a liquid natural gas importation plant on Canvey Island.

Yvette Cooper: The appeal will be dealt with in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000. The Planning Inspectorate have advised the parties of the timetable that the rules apply to the submission of their documents and will aim to arrange a public local inquiry date within 22 weeks from the starting date for the appeal, 15 March 2007. Following the close of the inquiry a timetable will be set for the appeal to be determined, which will be notified to the parties.

Community Wardens

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the Government Office for the West Midlands to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North dated 12 March, on community wardens; why the letter was not acknowledged; and if she will take steps to ensure that correspondence to Government offices  (a) is acknowledged and  (b) receives a substantive reply within a reasonable period.

Phil Woolas: A substantive response was sent on 18 April.
	The Government office has a system in place to issue acknowledgements in respect of correspondence where a substantive reply is unlikely to be provided in 15 working days. Unfortunately, on this occasion this was not adhered to and I offer my hon. Friend sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Departments: Oral Questions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many oral questions tabled by hon. and right hon. Members to her Department have been transferred to other Departments since May 2005.

Angela Smith: Since May 2005, the Department for Communities and Local Government (and its predecessor Department the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) has transferred nine oral questions to other Departments.

Energy: Conservation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans  (a) to make proposals and  (b) to provide incentives to improve the energy efficiency of district heating schemes.

Yvette Cooper: The decent homes standard is the major mechanism by which the Government are encouraging greater thermal and energy efficiency in social housing. The standard requires that homes have both efficient heating and effective insulation and this covers district heating systems.
	The proposals in the consultation paper "Building a Greener Future" that all new homes will have to be zero carbon by 2016 could also drive the use of energy efficient district heating systems. This is supported by an incentive announced by the Chancellor in Budget 2007. The Chancellor announced a time-limited stamp duty exemption for zero carbon homes with all new zero carbon homes costing up to £500,000 paying no stamp duty.

Equal Opportunities: Adoption

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an adoption agency expressing a preference to place a child with  (a) a black or Asian family,  (b) a family of a specific faith and  (c) a heterosexual couple would constitute discrimination under the Government's proposed equality legislation.

Meg Munn: An adoption agency (i.e. a local authority or a voluntary adoption agency) may assess a person as regards their suitability to adopt a child, but the decision on whether to place a child for adoption with particular prospective adopters is taken by the local authority adoption panel. The paramount consideration in any decision on whether to place a child for adoption with particular prospective adopters is the welfare of the child throughout his or her life, taking account of the child's religion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background.

Housing: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) individuals and  (b) families are in housing need in each local authority area in Hampshire; and what strategy she has for meeting this need.

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government does not make estimates of housing need in each area, local authorities are required to assess housing need assessments as part of their strategic local housing market assessments.
	Communities and Local Government has a variety of strategies for addressing housing need, including concentrating efforts and resources on homelessness prevention activities, increasing investment in the provision of new social housing and improving the stock of existing social housing through the Decent Homes programme.

Maps: Databases

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the cost was of developing the Maps on Tap database;
	(2)  what datasets are incorporated into her Department's Maps on Tap database;
	(3)  what  (a) geospatial,  (b) geo-demographic and  (c) cadastral data her Department's Maps on Tap database holds;
	(4)  whether the Valuation Office Agency has access to her Department's Maps on Tap database.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Maps on Tap database at:
	http://www.mapsontap.gov.uk
	The Valuation Office Agency has access to the Maps on Tap database.
	The cost of developing the Maps on Tap database was £3.03 million.

Non-domestic Rates: Children's Centres

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what level of business rates Sure Start children's centres pay when located within primary schools;
	(2)  what level of business rates is paid by  (a) maintained and  (b) private, voluntary and independent nurseries when located within a primary school.

Phil Woolas: All occupiers of non-domestic property, known as hereditaments, pay business rates as a way of contributing to a range of local services. Business rates are payable regardless of ownership and are based on the rateable value of the hereditament in question. The level of business rates payable by a ratepayer depends on the circumstances of the particular case. Depending on the facts, a building may for rating purposes constitute more than one hereditament. In such cases, the occupiers of those separate units would be liable for rates.
	Rateable values are generally based on the assumed rent the property would attract if let on the open market on a specific date. These values are assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an independent agency of HM Revenue and Customs, in line with well-established rating principles and methodology. If ratepayers disagree with the rateable value of their property, they may challenge it by making an appeal to the VOA.
	We are aware that the impact of business rates is greater on small businesses compared with larger concerns. The small business rate relief scheme that we introduced with effect from 1 April 2005 therefore provides up to 50 per cent. rate relief for eligible properties irrespective of the use to which the property is put.

Parking: Planning Permission

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes Planning Policy Statement 3 has made to the number of car parking spaces allowed in new housing developments; what status Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 has in this context; and if she will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing gives local authorities the ability to set their own standards for density and car parking. PPS3 says that local authorities should, in partnership with their communities, develop residential parking policies for their areas, taking account of expected levels of car ownership, the importance of promoting good design and the need to use land efficiently.
	PPS3 Annex A cancelled the guidance on residential parking in paragraphs 12-17 of Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport (PPG13) as the general principles of PPS3 supersede this section, by outlining the wider duty of local authorities to consider promoting sustainable transport choices and local circumstances when developing car parking policies.

Planning: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her Department's observations of 22 February 2007 on the petition presented to the House on 26 April by the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes whether her statement that overall responsibility for planning policies and delivery in Milton Keynes remains with Milton Keynes council applies to all land within the boundary of the unitary authority.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 March 2007
	 Milton Keynes council is responsible for all local planning policies i.e. development plan documents that apply within the boundary of the unitary authority. This includes those local planning policies which form part of the development plan for the purposes of section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The relevant planning policies within the Regional Spatial Strategy, in particular the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, also forms part of the development plan for the Milton Keynes area.

Planning: Wind Power

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department is considering changing the guidelines for any planning policy relating to energy producing wind turbines in  (a) national parks and  (b) areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Yvette Cooper: We have recently consulted on a draft planning policy statement (PPS) "Planning and Climate Change". This sets out our proposals on how planning should contribute to reducing emissions and stabilising climate change. Planning is expected to make a full contribution to delivering the Government's Climate Change Programme and energy policies. This includes giving greater emphasis to local renewable sources for supplying the energy needs of new developments and looking favourably on proposals for renewable energy.
	The draft PPS builds on our policies in PPS22 "Renewable Energy" which state that renewable energy developments should be capable of being accommodated throughout England in locations where the technology is viable and environmental, economic, and social impacts can be addressed satisfactorily. PPS22 sets out detailed considerations applicable to determining planning applications for renewable energy projects, including on sites in areas with nationally recognised designations such as those within national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Planning permission for renewable energy projects on these sites can be granted where it is demonstrated that the objectives of designation of the area will not be compromised by the development, and any significant adverse effects on the qualities for which the area has been designated are clearly outweighed by the environmental, social and economic benefits.

Temporary Accommodation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the progress of the research commissioned by her Department into the experiences of homeless households in temporary accommodation.

Yvette Cooper: This research is expected to be published in the autumn this year.
	The publication date reflects the need for detailed analysis to ensure that the findings reflect a full understanding of the data.

Written Questions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to question 126691, on guidelines for planning policy regulations, tabled by the hon. Member for Cotswold on 6 March 2007.

Yvette Cooper: I have now replied to question 126691.

HEALTH

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she intends to take following the recommendation of the National Screening Committee, that a national screening policy should be implemented by her Department for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 April 2007
	The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC) has advised that screening for men aged 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) can be recommended in principle subject to further work, particularly on the appropriate configuration of treatment services and the provision of men to make an informed choice about whether to undergo screening. The NSC considered further work undertaken by the AAA screening working group at its meeting in March 2007. More detailed work will now be undertaken on the practical issues that would be involved in implementation.

Acute Beds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed transfers of care from acute beds there have been in each NHS trust in the last 12 months; and what proportion of the total number of transfers of care from acute beds this represents in each trust.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Acute Beds: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in acute hospitals in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The number of patients with delayed transfer of care at East Sussex hospitals national health service trust is available in the following table:
	
		
			  Month  
			  2006  Patients with delayed transfer of care 
			 March 52 
			 April 59 
			 May 56 
			 June 55 
			 July 55 
			 August 68 
			 September 64 
			 October 58 
			 November 34 
			 December 34 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 38 
			 February 46 
			  Note:  The number of delayed transfers of care is a snapshot taken at Midnight every Thursday.  Source:  Department of Health SitReps

Animal Feed

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions are in place to ensure that pet food manufacturers do not add unsuitable ingredients to pet food; why such restrictions do not extend to a ban on both sugar and salt; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: There is extensive legislation in place covering the composition of pet food, which is designed to protect the health of pet animals. This includes maximum permitted levels for various contaminants and only substances that have undergone an official assessment for safety, quality and efficacy can be used as additives in pet foods. It is also an offence to sell pet foods that are deleterious to pet animals.
	It is not necessary to ban sugar and salt as the use of such ingredients is controlled by this legislation. A wide range of ingredients, including sugar and salt, are used in manufactured pet foods to satisfy the nutritional requirements of animals and for palatability and technological reasons.

Blood: Diseases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's per capita spending on  (a) sickle cell and  (b) cystic fibrosis was in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the per capita spending for treating those living with sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis is not collected.

Carers: Grants

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether funding for the carers special support grant will continue to be made available to local authorities after March 2008; and if she will make a statement on the funding of carers services over the next five years.

Ivan Lewis: Decisions about the future of the carers grant in the next spending review period will be taken later this year.

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) to make a recommendation as to whether a national immunisation programme for the human papilloma virus should be implemented; and on which dates the JCVI human papilloma virus subgroup  (a) has met and  (b) is expected to meet in 2007.

Caroline Flint: No decisions will be taken on introducing human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines into the immunisation programme until the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has presented its advice to Ministers for their consideration.
	The JCVI is in the process of thoroughly examining the vaccine safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness evidence concerning HPV vaccines. The work is being taken forward by a sub-group of JCVI, which met in May and September (2006) and in February 2007. Further meetings of the sub-group will be scheduled as required.
	The sub group's advice will be reported to the main JCVI committee for their consideration.

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether she has held discussions with the Department for Education and Skills on the possible implementation of a schools-based vaccination programme for human papilloma virus vaccine;
	(2)  whether her Department has made an assessment of what would be required to initiate a schools-based vaccination programme for human papilloma virus vaccines.

Caroline Flint: The Department is seeking advice on the new human papilloma virus vaccine from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is an independent expert advisory committee. Ministers will consider advice from JCVI when it is forthcoming.
	Schools-based vaccination programmes have been previously used; for example the Men C vaccination campaign started in 1999 and the measles-rubella catch-up campaign in 1994.

Dental Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current ratio is of  (a) NHS dentists,  (b) private dentists and  (c) all dentists to people in England; and what it was in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 April 2007
	The numbers of national health service dentists per population in England are included in reports published by the Information Centre for health and social care. Most dentists eligible to provide NHS services also choose to provide some private treatment. Information is not held on the number of dentists who only provide private treatment.
	Numbers of NHS dentists per population in England as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are contained in Annex F of the 'NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006'. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This is available on-line at
	www.live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Numbers of NHS dentists per population in England as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 are contained in Annex 3 of the 'NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3: 31 December 2006' report. This information is based on the new contractual arrangements and is not directly comparable with earlier information. This is available on-line at
	www.live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006
	Both reports are available in Library.

Dental Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of NHS dentists operating in  (a) Coventry and  (b) England.

Rosie Winterton: The Information Centre for health and social care publishes quarterly information on the number of dentists in England at strategic health authority and primary care trust level.
	The latest information available is as at 31 December 2006. Numbers of dentists at this date and at 30 June and 30 September 2006 are contained in Section G of Annex 3 of the 'National Health Service Dental Statistics for England Q3:31 December 2006' report.
	This report has been placed the House of Commons Library and is also available on-line at:
	www./live.theic.precedenthost.co.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006

Dental Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that people have access to an NHS dentist.

Rosie Winterton: The dental reforms launched in April 2006 give local primary care trusts (PCTs) for the first time the responsibility for commissioning dental services to meet the needs of their local populations. Under the previous system, dentists could set up practice where they wished and choose how much or how little national health service work to provide. If a dentist stopped providing NHS services, the local NHS could do very little to secure replacement services. Under the reforms, PCTs have the resources to commission agreed levels of patient services from local dentists. If a dentist stops providing NHS services in the area, the money for that service now stays with the PCT and is used to commission services from other dentists. PCTs are increasingly using these new powers to commission additional services which better reflect local needs.
	The reforms build on a programme of significant Government investment in NHS dental services and workforce expansion. The annual resources now allocated for NHS dentistry are some £400 million more than in 2003-04 (excluding the money for annual pay increases). In the two years leading up to the reforms, the Government co-ordinated a major recruitment programme, which resulted in the equivalent of over 1,450 whole time dentists joining the workforce. There are currently some 20,900 dentists on NHS contracts, around 1,500 more than two years ago and 4,000 more than in 1997. To support future growth, the Government also increased annual numbers of dental training places by 25 per cent. in 2005.

Dental Services: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was allocated for NHS dentistry in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) assumed responsibility for local commissioning of primary care dentistry from 1 April 2006. The following table sets out the resources allocated to the national health service for commissioning dental services in 2006-07, including resources distributed via strategic health authorities to support dental vocational training. Total (gross) expenditure on NHS primary dental services also includes income raised from patient charges. The table includes the indicative assumptions made before the start of the year about gross budgets and patient charge income. A number of factors will affect the actual levels of gross expenditure and patient charge income, including the levels of dentistry commissioned by PCTs, the time needed for new dental services to be commissioned and come into operation, and changes in the mix of charge-paying and charge exempt patients treated.
	
		
			  Primary dental service resource allocation, England, 2006-07 
			   £ million 
			 Net allocation 1,765 
			 Indicative patient charge income 634 
			 Indicative gross budget 2,398 
		
	
	PCTs did not receive full primary care dental allocations prior to 2006-07. The bulk of primary dental care was provided through the centrally funded general dental services (GDS). Under GDS, spending was largely demand-led, with dentists determining how much NHS work they carried out and claiming separate fees for each individual item of treatment. The following table sets out overall (gross) expenditure on NHS primary dental care in the four years from 2002-03 to 2005-06.
	
		
			  Gross expenditure on primary dental care (general dental services and personal dental service pilots), England 
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2002-03 1,749 
			 2003-04 1,815 
			 2004-05 1,951 
			 2005-06 2,205

Drugs: Prisons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding for the Integrated Drug Treatment System has been allocated to each prison in England and Wales.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 April 2007
	 In 2006-07, the Department invested £12 million in the integrated drug treatment system (IDTS). This has paid for 45 prisons to implement the clinical element of IDTS. £7.8 million of this funding was allocated directly to these prisons.
	For 2007-08, investment will increase to £12.7 million and 49 prisons will receive funding. We plan to allocate £11.1 million of this sum directly to these prisons.
	In addition to this, the Home Office invested £5 million in 2006-07 for the psycho-social element of IDTS. This has been implemented in 17 of the 45 prisons. Of this sum, £3.5 million was allocated directly to these prisons. The amount of this investment for 2007-08 will increase to £6 million.
	The amounts allocated directly to each prison are shown in the table. The remainder of this investment has been invested in the small building conversions and alternations necessary in these prisons to accommodate IDTS facilities, as well as in central programme costs, which include training, research and evaluation, clinical support and regional management support.
	
		
			  £ 
			  New PCT  New SHA  Prison  2006-07  a llocation  2007-08  a llocation  2007-08  a llocation (rounded up) 
			 Northumberland Care Trust North East Acklington 120,599 160,799 161,000.00 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland East Midlands Ashwell 93,442 124,589 125,000.00 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching West Midlands Birmingham 438,767 585,023 585,000.00 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney East of England Blundeston 80,445 107,260 107,000.00 
			 Lambeth London Brixton 325,598 434,131 434,000.00 
			 Oxfordshire South Central Bullingdon 277,064 369,419 369,000.00 
			 Mid Essex East of England Chelmsford 323,877 431,836 432,000.00 
			 Surrey South East Coast Coldingley 65,441 87,255 87,000.00 
			 Devon South West Dartmoor 103,604 138,139 138,000.00 
			 County Durham North East Deerbolt 85,612 114,149 114,000.00 
			 Doncaster Yorkshire and the Humber Doncaster 497,511 663,348 663,000.00 
			 County Durham North East Dorchester 182,146 242,861 243,000.00 
			 County Durham North East Durham 350,000 466,667 467,000.00 
			 South Gloucestershire South West Eastwood Park 240,020 320,027 320,000.00 
			 Suffolk East of England Edmonds Hill 108,197 144,263 144,000.00 
			 Wiltshire South West Erlestoke 86,933 115,911 116,000.00 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and the Humber Everthorpe 99,013 132,017 132,000.00 
			 South Staffordshire West Midlands Featherstone 110,469 147,292 147,000.00 
			 Derbyshire County East Midlands Foston Hall 198,196 264,261 264,000.00 
			 Gloucestershire South West Gloucester 193,233 257,644 258,000.00 
			 Dorset South West Guys Marsh 126,366 168,488 168,000.00 
			 Cumbria North West Haverigg 92,892 123,856 124,000.00 
			 Suffolk East of England High Point 98,899 131,865 132,000.00 
			 Surrey South East Coast Highdown 366,331 488,441 488,000.00 
			 Hull Yorkshire and the Humber Hull 369,007 492,009 492,000.00 
			 Doncaster Yorkshire and the Humber Lindholme 118,604 158,139 158,000.00 
			 County Durham North East Low Newton 168,591 224,788 225,000.00 
			 Nottinghamshire County East Midlands Lowdham Grange 74,440 99,253 99,000.00 
			 Doncaster Yorkshire and the Humber Moorland (O&C) 188,877 251,836 252,000.00 
			 North Yorkshire and York Yorkshire and the Humber North Allerton 80,614 107,485 107,000.00 
			 Lincolnshire East Midlands North Sea Camp 032,504 176,672 177,000.00 
			 Nottingham City East of England Nottingham 302,697 403,596 404,000.00 
			 Northamptonshire East Midlands Onley 135,402 180,536 181,000.00 
			 Bassetlaw East Midlands Ranby 199,448 265,931 266,000.00 
			 Northamptonshire East Midlands Rye Hill 75,772 101,029 101,000.00 
			 South Staffordshire West Midlands Stafford 97,424 129,899 130,000.00 
			 Eastern and Costal Kent South East Coast Standford Hill 165,905 221,207 221,000.00 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland East Midlands Stocken 88,813 118,417 118,000.00 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire North West Styal 332,195 442,927 443,000.00 
			 Derbyshire County East Midlands Sudbury 107,525 143,367 143,000.00 
			 West Hertfordshire East of England The Mount 82,791 110,388 110,000.00 
			 Leeds Yorkshire and the Humber Wealstun 131,425 175,233 175,000.00 
			 Norfolk East of England Weyland 86,246 114,995 115,000.00 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and the Humber Wolds 76,015 101,353 101,000.00 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham London Wormwood Scrubs 125,786 167,715 516,000.00 
			 Eastern and Costal Kent South East Coast Elmley 0.00 448,000 448,000.00 
			 West Kent South East Coast Maidstone 0.00 88,000 88,000.00 
			 Medway South East Coast Rochester 0.00 129,000 129,000.00 
			 Eastern and Costal Kent South East Coast Swaleside 0.00 83,000 83,000.00 
			 Total   7,804,736 11,154,315 11,500,000

Family Practitioner Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she has made in establishing an expanding practice allowance, as referred to in paragraph 3.33 of her Department's White Paper of 30 January 2006, "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say".

Andy Burnham: As we explained in paragraph 3.33 of "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say", we have asked NHS employers to consider the case for establishing an expanding practice allowance as part of the general practice contract framework. Progress on this has however been inhibited by the decision by the British Medical Association to withdraw from the negotiation about the contract framework for 2007-08.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1138W, on influenza, what estimate she has made of the total number of poultry workers in England who are eligible for receiving seasonal influenza vaccination under the relevant programme.

Caroline Flint: All premises that keep 50 or more birds of designated poultry species are required to register on the Great Britain Poultry Register (GBPR). As of 5 January 2007, there were around 17,000 such premises registered employing around 61,000 poultry workers.
	Further information about the number of poultry workers eligible for receiving seasonal influenza vaccination is contained in the departmental guidance on the implementation of a seasonal flu vaccination programme for poultry workers available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocial caretopics/Flu/DH_063506

Maternity Services

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to reduce the negative effects on  (a) babies,  (b) parents and  (c) the NHS associated with pre-term birth.

Ivan Lewis: "Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service" published on 3 April sets out the Government's framework for services to provide safe, high quality maternity care. The priority for modern maternity services is to enable the whole pregnancy experience to be as safe and satisfying as possible for mother and baby and to support new parents to have a confident start to family life.
	In line with the vision set out in the report of the Department's Expert Review Group on Neonatal Intensive Care, published in 2003, we have facilitated the development of 24 neonatal managed clinical networks to provide safe and effective services for mothers and babies. Since April 2003 over £70 million additional funding has been made available to support the development of these networks. This is in addition to the general increase in national health service funding, from which neonatal services can also benefit. Because of improvements in technology and the development of health care expertise, greater numbers of very small babies are being born alive and surviving. In the past many of these babies would have died just before or just after birth.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1748W, on NHS Direct, which organisations the NHS Direct NHS Trust pays for the provision of the NHS Direct service through Freeview; and how much she expects each such organisation to receive in the 2007-08 financial year.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for the chief executive of the new NHS Direct NHS Trust.

NHS Treatment Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to publish the review of NHS walk-in centre funding arrangements.

Andy Burnham: We now expect to publish the report of the NHS walk-in centre funding review in early summer.

Nutrition

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Food Standards Agency's nutrient profiling model; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency will review the effectiveness of the nutrient profiling model after one year of use.

Testosterone

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of waiting times for testosterone therapy.

Caroline Flint: The information is not collected centrally.

Tobacco Packs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 65W, on tobacco packs, when she plans to publish final proposals relating to the introduction of picture warnings on tobacco packs.

Caroline Flint: The Department is still finalising proposals for the introduction of picture warnings on tobacco packs. There is no date yet set to publish final proposals, but the Department expects this to be in the coming months.

Transplant Surgery

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth of 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1797W, on transplant surgery, if she will break down the figures for those awaiting organ transplant in each year since 1997 by the type of organ they are waiting to receive.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the numbers of patients listed (including those temporarily suspended) as at the end of each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Organ  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Kidney 5,534 5,631 5,835 6,028 6,107 6,308 6,447 6,833 7,126 7,941 
			 Pancreas 4 9 9 28 29 43 41 61 84 97 
			 Kidney/pancreas 63 62 69 98 116 111 111 132 130 217 
			 Heart 305 275 264 156 113 99 104 113 102 88 
			 Lung(s) 227 204 205 205 243 267 267 275 263 275 
			 Heart/lungs 140 123 127 109 74 76 59 53 42 38 
			 Liver 184 203 167 155 160 168 249 258 364 334 
			 Total 6,457 6,507 6,676 6,779 6,842 7,072 7,278 7,725 8,111 8,990